Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Guess I'm wondering if im the asshole here (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by Headkace
Hey, so last night around 11pm I started having labored breathing and a wet cough after smoking (im a daily smoker), and was coughing and blowing my nose all night, trying to sleep, finally fell asleep around 4:30am. I had a shoft today at 7am, so I needed to make sure to call before then so they'd know. I guess I should have called at 5:30a, but I called at 6:30a. Again, I had finally gotten some sleep only 2 hours previous. I called my store, my SM picks up, and when I tell them im sick and can't come in because I was up all night with a nasty cough and congestion, their response was "and you're just now finding this out?"... like I was literally sobbing last night feeling guilty about calling out. My partner had to convince me to, I was gonna go to work on 1-3 hours sleep. I also have 2 jobs, so I would have been out all day. I understand that calling sooner would have given them more time to get covered, but in the moment when my SM said that my trauma brain froze up and ended up stuttering, landing on, "I guess I just remembered to call you guys" because I was on the spot. I feel like their response was really passive aggressive, it was followed with a heavy sigh and something like "I'll get you covered." No 'I hope you feel better', no 'let me know asap if you can't come in tomorrow', nothing. I feel like I shouldn't have to explain myself if I say I'm sick at all, let alone have an excuse locked and loaded for something like this.
TLDR; I was sick all night, called in a little later than I could have but still before my shift, my SM was really passive aggressive about me calling out, and I guess I feel like that wasn't fair. Thoughts?
TLDR; I was sick all night, called in a little later than I could have but still before my shift, my SM was really passive aggressive about me calling out, and I guess I feel like that wasn't fair. Thoughts?
YellowSphinx 48 points 1y ago
This is just a job. don’t worry about it. You did the right thing by calling in. I’ve worked with people who called off right when their shift was supposed to start. The most important thing is that you take care of yourself and that you feel better.
SpAcEcAt_94 31 points 1y ago
Yeah you probably should have called in earlier but you said it yourself, you were running on very little sleep and you obviously care about your coworkers. Most of my coworkers would have pulled a no call, no show or would have wandered in a few hours into their shift and just kinda be like "sorry I overslept" or "my bad".
Plus, you're sick. You needed to stay at home and recover. Starbucks can wait, you need to focus on your own health. I hope you feel better soon!
Plus, you're sick. You needed to stay at home and recover. Starbucks can wait, you need to focus on your own health. I hope you feel better soon!
BruceQuint 22 points 1y ago
Maybe you could have texted your manager last night with a heads up, but ultimately: No. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, and you’re possibly sick. You shouldn’t go to work like that. Had you filled out the Covid coach honestly, it would have told you to be sent home anyway. Take care of your health first and foremost, everything else is secondary.
heartashley 7 points 1y ago
If a manager or supervisor are passive aggressive or upset that you're calling out sick, they're not a good supervisor or manager. Yes, it's fair to be frustrated, but your staff's well-being and the store's well-being (pandemic and all) should be more important than them having to find coverage or them possibly having to work harder.
Woukd a text mat night have helped? Maybe. But that also would leave them with so little time still and if my old supervisor called me at 6am to ask if I could come in on a day off or something, I'd laugh and hang up. It wouldn't have been any easier for them last night at 12am than it would have been this morning at 5am.
Woukd a text mat night have helped? Maybe. But that also would leave them with so little time still and if my old supervisor called me at 6am to ask if I could come in on a day off or something, I'd laugh and hang up. It wouldn't have been any easier for them last night at 12am than it would have been this morning at 5am.
stealingsight 7 points 1y ago
Not the asshole, but understandably, the way they reacted was probably also under stress since being short staffed sucks and their main priority is to find the coverage they need. If you’re really still hung up on it you can tell them what you told us and hopefully going forward both parties can move on. Hope you feel better today. I also couldn’t sleep from health issues and it sucks.
CriticalSheep 5 points 1y ago
You're not the asshole. I hope you start feeling better soon!
forsakenpancake 4 points 1y ago
Your health > everything else. You were anxious about letting your co-workers down and your partner even had to convince you to call out! This shows you care about others and how your actions effect them. You are NOT the asshole!! Please take care of yourself. Hope you feel better soon :)
potatopoisoning 3 points 1y ago
NAH.
Could you have called when the openers got in and given them a little more than 30 minutes notice? Yes. But if you’re sick you’re sick and illness doesn’t always breed logical thinking. It happens. Better that you stayed home and didn’t risk getting anyone else sick. Feel better.
As for your SM, she was clearly frustrated, definitely didn’t handle that as well as she could have, but I don’t think it was necessarily intentional. At very least she didn’t try to make you to find coverage yourself. It’s against policy to do that btw, but I’ve known too many SMs who will still try it. Good on her for just getting it done and not passing the buck.
Could you have called when the openers got in and given them a little more than 30 minutes notice? Yes. But if you’re sick you’re sick and illness doesn’t always breed logical thinking. It happens. Better that you stayed home and didn’t risk getting anyone else sick. Feel better.
As for your SM, she was clearly frustrated, definitely didn’t handle that as well as she could have, but I don’t think it was necessarily intentional. At very least she didn’t try to make you to find coverage yourself. It’s against policy to do that btw, but I’ve known too many SMs who will still try it. Good on her for just getting it done and not passing the buck.
Beardzesty 3 points 1y ago
Honestly around midnight, send out texts to the sm. Then whenever in the morning you call, you can say very late last night I tried to let someone know and now I'm calling to double make sure yall know.
Fun_Yak4015 2 points 1y ago
You’re not the asshole. I cannot express to you how much I don’t want you to be here if you’re ill. And at least you called before your shift, so many call late or even not at all- also! I hope you feel better❤️
BusyLeek2351 2 points 1y ago
It is what it is. There is no asshole in this situation.
Your sm is thinking about their next step, the rest of the day, the rest of the shift and who to put in. Idk your relationship but a “feel better” isn’t in their job description.
You didn’t feel good, you called out before your shift, you took care of yourself. Also did what you were supposed to do.
No winner. No loser. No asshole. Just life, just work. Feel better and move on.
Your sm is thinking about their next step, the rest of the day, the rest of the shift and who to put in. Idk your relationship but a “feel better” isn’t in their job description.
You didn’t feel good, you called out before your shift, you took care of yourself. Also did what you were supposed to do.
No winner. No loser. No asshole. Just life, just work. Feel better and move on.
depressoroast 2 points 1y ago
You aren’t the asshole. Just give them more notice next time and let them know asap if you can’t work tomorrow or start to look for coverage now. It’s just coffee. But I will say, your SM probably wasn’t the happiest saying a lot of us SMs are starting to feel the burn out and burden of the pandemic and isolations. All of the retail partners (hourly and salaried (minus the dms)) are being asked to do work we are not being properly paid for.
I’ve also seen a lot of people saying you should’ve texted around midnight. Don’t do that. As a sm, it absolutely sucks waking up to a call out. I also can’t do anything at midnight to find coverage. I’m not going to call other partners to come in. It just doesn’t give us a chance to even have a decent start to the day. Just call the store as soon as they arrive for open. This is my preference at least, I can’t speak for other managers.
I’ve also seen a lot of people saying you should’ve texted around midnight. Don’t do that. As a sm, it absolutely sucks waking up to a call out. I also can’t do anything at midnight to find coverage. I’m not going to call other partners to come in. It just doesn’t give us a chance to even have a decent start to the day. Just call the store as soon as they arrive for open. This is my preference at least, I can’t speak for other managers.
Headkace [OP] 2 points 1y ago
Yeah a lot of people mentioned a text but my SM doesn't like us to text outside of business hours. I will definitely try to call earlier, but thank you for the affirmation. ♡
MrsClaireUnderwood 1 points 1y ago
The only thing I can say is maybe letting someone know sooner. Other than that: if you're ill, you're ill.
Saradigm 1 points 1y ago
It’s not your fault your manager cannot accept that you are not only a human being but that they have a responsibility to be professional even when they feel inconvenienced because this is a job, not a family.
[deleted] 1 points 1y ago
[deleted]
fuckthisshit____ 1 points 1y ago
Not the asshole at all, that manager sucks. Please remember that you’re ultimately a disposable employee to them and their loyalty to you is limited, so never ever sacrifice your health to please them.
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