Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Running 30s before 10s (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by _abbycadabby_
How many of you are experiencing this? I thought it was just a quirk of one of the shifts at my store but found out today our new ASM is telling shifts that's how it's "supposed" to be done.
Number 1, it's not in the DCR that way. Never has been. I thought Starbucks' magical labor algorithms were infallible...
Number 2, I find this absolutely outrageous. If I'm here for 7-8 hours, I do not want my meal break 90 minutes after I clock in, leaving me with only two 10 minute breaks for the next 6-7 hours-- most of which are grueling peak hours which is why they're swapping the breaks in the first place. It absolutely crushes my spirit and makes handling the stress of the day so much harder.
Last week a friend who's a union steward in a different industry gave me contact details for a person at Workers United. I'm less than four months in so I'm very anxious about organizing but it may be time to nut up or shut up.
Number 1, it's not in the DCR that way. Never has been. I thought Starbucks' magical labor algorithms were infallible...
Number 2, I find this absolutely outrageous. If I'm here for 7-8 hours, I do not want my meal break 90 minutes after I clock in, leaving me with only two 10 minute breaks for the next 6-7 hours-- most of which are grueling peak hours which is why they're swapping the breaks in the first place. It absolutely crushes my spirit and makes handling the stress of the day so much harder.
Last week a friend who's a union steward in a different industry gave me contact details for a person at Workers United. I'm less than four months in so I'm very anxious about organizing but it may be time to nut up or shut up.
gjrcia 31 points 1y ago
reading this while im on my 30 minute break only 1 hour into my shift lol
_abbycadabby_ [OP] 5 points 1y ago
Bullshiiiiiiitttttt. I'm so sorry.
reginaldioz 12 points 1y ago
they keep on missing my second 10? every sunday i work a 8-3 and i only get one ten and one thirty.
used2ballerina 3 points 1y ago
you may only be scheduled two breaks... i would check the dcr i can’t remember off the top of my head how long your shift has to be for you to get two tens
dallizzlee 7 points 1y ago
It happens to me every day. I normally open (4:30) and I’m on my 30 by 5:30 every morning. I hate it. It makes the rest of my day miserable. I’m not even hungry by 5:30 but if I don’t eat, by the time I finally get a 10 around 10:30, I’m starved.
They say it’s because we’re short staffed and need to make sure we don’t get a meal penalty but it just makes me not want to work.
They say it’s because we’re short staffed and need to make sure we don’t get a meal penalty but it just makes me not want to work.
noeyoureatowel 6 points 1y ago
This is how I was trained to run opening and closing breaks 🙃 I know it sucks and I hate doing it, but it’s the only way to balance everything with the labor I’m given. We deserve better.
Berry_Barbara 4 points 1y ago
I get my 30mins two hours after clocking in so I can be there during peak. I know it’s not as bad as 90mins in, but I’d prefer taking my 10 first so I don’t have hours to go afterwards with a short bathroom break
used2ballerina 3 points 1y ago
i’m an opening shift & i always take my lunch first & it SUCKSSSS i would never make my baristas do that when they have 2 tens. when they have one & a lunch that’s a different story, it’s almost always 30 before 10 unless it lines up another break & we can’t run breaks like that
GeneralSparklezz 2 points 1y ago
They tell me run peoples lunches within first hour and half but I wait till half way point it’s dumb no one deserves to be forced to stand for that long without a properly placed half
_abbycadabby_ [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Thank you, General. *salutes*
Kyde_Drakes 2 points 1y ago
This is how they are making the short staff issue work. Sadly, a lot of places are doing this.
AdministrativePen981 1 points 1y ago
Starbucks actually started doing this in area over a decade ago for openers. It sucks but it makes sense in the long run if there are a whole bunch of other breaks for the SSV to run once it gets busier. Also not sure about where you are but state/labor law here is 2 hours into your shift is when you are supposed to take your first break. Whether it’s a 10 or lunch. You shouldn’t be on any break at all that first hour, unless you’re incredibly short staffed. Also as a SSV I’ve often sacrificed my breaks for the breaks of my team I’m scheduled with, in order to accommodate later much breaks. I will explain to your SSV why you’d like to wait for a lunch maybe?
lunarena11 1 points 1y ago
We've always done this for opening and I have partners on my shift who request to have their 30s before their 10s.
audiob1ood 1 points 1y ago
We always run the opener's lunches before 10s. Otherwise, we get stuck running 3 meal breaks during peak, which isn't really feasible.
That said, NEVER before 2 hours. The meal rotation for openers starts at 6am (we start at 4).
That said, NEVER before 2 hours. The meal rotation for openers starts at 6am (we start at 4).
_abbycadabby_ [OP] 4 points 1y ago
It should be feasible; there's absolutely no reason it can't be. The store should be staffed so that one single person leaving the floor for a break they are both legally entitled to and desperately need during the chaos does not impact service levels. Hypothetically speaking you could even just hire a floater to come in for 2 hours to run four breaks and still have the same amount of labor on the floor.
Momo-ko_the_Fox 1 points 1y ago
We actually have something scheduled like that today. They’re staying for more than two hours, but they’re main job is going to be floating around the store covering breaks. We’re understaffed as well, and as an opener who always gets lunch 2 hours after and doesn’t have any desire to eat, I understand the need. I have a feeling someone is going to get sent home early though. Our store just got told for having so many people on the floor.
scarlettmuffin7 1 points 1y ago
We're lucky to get ANY breaks at my store. I work with partners who get there at 430a and stay until 1 who dont get any breaks at all
PauseAccording20 0 points 1y ago
It generally should be first 10 two hours in, 30 four hours in and if you work enough hours for your second 10 it will be 2 hours before your shift ends. That’s how my store runs it
_abbycadabby_ [OP] 1 points 1y ago
......yes. That's what's in the DCR and that's what breaks are actually intended for and that's what makes common freakin' sense. But the point of my post is that's not what's happening anymore.
PauseAccording20 1 points 1y ago
Speak with your SM then! They should be able to help everyone run their breaks properly, sorry if I came off some type of way I wasn’t trying to be. I had someone try to send me on my 30 before my 10 at another store and only about an hour in and I just said no thanks I’ll talk my ten in an hour and my 30 later. Im an SSV but even as a barista I would have done the same thing
violodolo -15 points 1y ago
You will lose your job if you try to unionize tbh.
lilluvsplants 10 points 1y ago
I'm sure OP knows the risks just like every partner in Buffalo does already. Be positive or hush. Starbucks needs to treat its partners better or go under. It's that simple.
_abbycadabby_ [OP] 8 points 1y ago
I'm fully aware of the risk, despite it violating labor laws. But I also know fear of retaliation is one of the main tactics used to discourage organizing.
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