The decision to not close the store and clean anymore was made when studies proved that COVID transmission rate was extremely low via surface transmission. Like less than 1% if I remember right. That coupled with the fact that it costs the company 5k for the cleaning service and then the loss of product due to the cleaning (all cups exposed etc ..) the labor for partners to go back in just to setup the store again (avg 2-4hrs for a team of 4-6 baristas depending on the size and mess the store is in). It just doesn't make sense to do that.

i like that they gave everyone the option to go home, but you’re totally right that their decision put all of their partners in a terrible position. on one hand, there’s all of that anxiety and the obvious moral qualms about staying and working, but on the other hand, who wants to be the one to let your team down and make them short-staffed for the day?? direct shortcut to the social pariah club…. it’s really disappointing that they put their partners in that kind of position :/

If you feel unsafe to work, you can go home, but the store remains open. If y'all agree and feel unsafe to work then it's time to peace out. What are they gunna do? Keep the store open with no partners? Lmao
Don't bust your ass for this company and I'm sorry about your DM. They sound like a real piece of work.

The point about the unnecessary step of cleaning has already been made (especially unnecessary when all the germs would be long dead by the time the store opened in the morning) but if your partners have been vaccinated then you don’t need to close the store down. I believe anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated and was in contact with this person for the past few days needs to take an LOA too however if you’re vaccinated and everyone kept their masks on like they’re supposed to, then the likelihood of transmission is lower and it should be fine. That’s not a guarantee but that’s not a guarantee with anything. Most people who are vaccinated and contract the illness fare much better than the unvaccinated did.

And in any case closing for one day does nothing. The incubation period is longer than one day. Someone can have it, stay home one day, work the next several and then begin displaying symptoms. Not to mention we are officially at the point where it more or less is what it is. I hardly agree with how it all went down but enough people haven’t been vaccinated, a lot of people in the States especially don’t want to be vaccinated and you will probably contract covid in your life regardless at this point. I want everyone to do what they can to protect others, especially those more likely to get hit hard if they contract the disease. but the world can’t keep shutting down to protect people when enough of them don’t want to be protected and everyone else will probably eventually get it anyways. That’s not to say there aren’t any worthwhile measures or things that can be done but Starbucks closing down for a day isn’t actually helpful to anyone.

This!!!!! Same thing is happening to me right now. I’m an SSV and work in a store with multiple unvaccinated partners. Another vaxxed SSV and I opened the store today for 4 hours with 2 of our minor partners. My SM didn’t even disclose to them a partner had just tested positive (which really pissed me off). I think we’re closing for a couple of days this week because we simply don’t have staff. This whole thing has been beyond frustrating. Starbucks policy on exposure is bullshit with the new variant anyway