Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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"If you can't find your own coverage you have to stay" (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by icecreamsadwitch
Hi guys. My coworker had a terrible athsma attack on the floor yesterday. It ended with her vomiting multiple times while at work. My SM was in the back and when my coworker told her what happened my SM basically said "aw man well.. if you can't find coverage you have to stay and finish your shift." So she did. She ended up vomiting many more times and still had to stay.
We were not short staffed that day by any means. We would've been fine if she had gone home and we were just down a person. I also recall in our food handlers licence training that you should not come to work if you have had vomiting or diarrhea within 24 hours of your shift, so isn't that a major health code violation? Is there someone's attention I can bring this to? Maybe our DM but I don't know that a lot of change would happen if I went to her. Any advice on how to address this would be appreciated.
We were not short staffed that day by any means. We would've been fine if she had gone home and we were just down a person. I also recall in our food handlers licence training that you should not come to work if you have had vomiting or diarrhea within 24 hours of your shift, so isn't that a major health code violation? Is there someone's attention I can bring this to? Maybe our DM but I don't know that a lot of change would happen if I went to her. Any advice on how to address this would be appreciated.
rosegoldhiips 201 points 1y ago
You could submit a complaint and be like "our manager forced a coworker to stay on shift while she was vomiting multiple times and it made me feel unsafe to work" even if you didn't feel unsafe I would still say it because that absolutely is a health code violation. My shifts at my current store even sent our pregnant coworker home if she couldn't keep anything down because that's the rule. We know she wasn't sick with something contagious but still, she was getting sick in the teash can in the back.
icecreamsadwitch [OP] 44 points 1y ago
Would it come back to me if I did that or would it be anonymous?
sheep_heavenly 67 points 1y ago
They're technically anonymous, but if the situation is easily identified and there's only a few people involved then they're going to know who did it. That being said, I've reported a lot of incidents as a "customer" and it's never came back to me.
AnxiousCoffeeHero 10 points 1y ago
How can you submit complaints as a customer?
sheep_heavenly 21 points 1y ago
To the health inspector? I call and say I'm a customer and saw whatever happened on the floor in front of customers.
To Starbucks? I send in an customer support email and do the same thing.
To Starbucks? I send in an customer support email and do the same thing.
rosegoldhiips 20 points 1y ago
I haven't had to make a complaint like that before but I don't see why they wouldn't be able to take an anonymous complaint
Zealousideal-Star448 14 points 1y ago
Any retaliation would be serious enough for them to get fired. Whistle blowers are protected by law. I suggest you write everything down, what time was this? Who was there? Was there any regular customers you can name there? How many times did they vomit? Did the sm see them vomit? Do your cameras work? Where did they vomit? I know writing about vomit is nasty but seriously this can get people super sick and hospitalized. Yes they “vomited because of xyz” but we don’t know for sure it isn’t ecoli or any other food born illness or covid. This can kill someone including you
Able-Fudge7855 8 points 1y ago
This ^^^^^
Your SM was WRONG and there are laws to protect you and your coworker in this situation.
If it were me, (I’m a shift) I would have IMMEDIATELY gone into the back and said “I’m sending ____ home because she is sick. We will be down a person. I will work on finding coverage for her. Would you like to hop on the floor and fill in?” Then I would walk my ass right back to the front and carry on with my shift, daring my SM to challenge that.
Write everything down. Set up a meeting with your DM and SM. Let. It. Rip.
Your SM was WRONG and there are laws to protect you and your coworker in this situation.
If it were me, (I’m a shift) I would have IMMEDIATELY gone into the back and said “I’m sending ____ home because she is sick. We will be down a person. I will work on finding coverage for her. Would you like to hop on the floor and fill in?” Then I would walk my ass right back to the front and carry on with my shift, daring my SM to challenge that.
Write everything down. Set up a meeting with your DM and SM. Let. It. Rip.
esaeklsg 19 points 1y ago
Yeah. Technically as written (at least in my area a couple years ago) everything in the range of like 15 feet of someone vomiting is contaminated and needs like, hazmat clean up. (I have never know a store to actually do this.) If you're assuming hazmat cleanup, unless that partner has a shower and a clean set of clothes, they aren't getting clean. They need to go home. And I don't think there's an exception based on cause of vomiting. Even if you don't think you're sick/aren't sick, there's a lot of microorganisms getting tossed around.
You could probably contact your local food health / safety / whatever organization if you wanted to start something.
You could probably contact your local food health / safety / whatever organization if you wanted to start something.
OneRoseDark 11 points 1y ago
I did food manager training recently. Pregnant women do not have to be sent home for vomiting.
rosegoldhiips 9 points 1y ago
She was vomiting so uncontrollably that she couldn't make it to the bathroom and almost didn't make it to the trash. So yeah in that case they should be sent home, idrc what your training says.
Apprehensive-Ad1514 0 points 1y ago
The training says that your SM was wrong and that she should have been sent home. The only case for vomiting that shouldn’t result in going home is morning sickness. Chill..
jjd_yo 59 points 1y ago
Somebody vomiting at work is a hazard. Ignoring the absolute egregious morals and ethics problem this is, they should be sent home solely because of the vomiting. Def reach out to the partner ethics compliance helpline, and sorry this happened to y’all :(
Comfortable-Plane944 54 points 1y ago
Reach out to ethics and compliance. That def should not have happened
icecreamsadwitch [OP] 21 points 1y ago
I'm sorry for not knowing, but how do I reach out to them? Is there a phone number or is it online?
Garrickrelentless 13 points 1y ago
1-800-611-7792
icecreamsadwitch [OP] 44 points 1y ago
Also isn't literally the shifts and SMs jobs to find coverage if a partner is unable to?? I'm sorry I'm still fairly new and don't really know how all of this works
BlackberryOpposite31 21 points 1y ago
You’re right if a partner is sick they are not in charge of finding coverage the sm should do that.
impossiblegirlme 17 points 1y ago
You are absolutely correct, however I worked for Starbucks for 8 years and very rarely did a manager work to find coverage for a callout, and insist the sick person find coverage. Awful.
PluralPaul 6 points 1y ago
We usually ask callouts to find coverage if possible and we'll provide any additional resources to do so, but in that situation the last thing I'd care about is the shift getting covered. You can't expect everyone to be able to find coverage, and that's just a fact. You also can't expect everyone to know they're going to be having the worst possible day on the floor, and that SM needs to be held accountable.
proletarithot 14 points 1y ago
Most corporate stores have a poster in the back stating attendance guidelines. If a partner is sick (medical note not req. in most states), they are not obligated to find coverage. If a partner is using company-granted sick hours (emergency, personal issues, illness etc), they are not obligated to find coverage.
Otherwise attendance policies are on the hub. The Partner Check on the ipad would also 100% send any vomiting partner home immediately, as well as log the partner’s responses. Being forced to work after failing the partner check will absolutely land the SM in hot water.
It’s easy to say “just leave” … but in reality there are managers who are petty, vindictive, and nasty. I would leave and then immediately call PRCC or the DM if trusted and explain. Sorry this happened at your store
Otherwise attendance policies are on the hub. The Partner Check on the ipad would also 100% send any vomiting partner home immediately, as well as log the partner’s responses. Being forced to work after failing the partner check will absolutely land the SM in hot water.
It’s easy to say “just leave” … but in reality there are managers who are petty, vindictive, and nasty. I would leave and then immediately call PRCC or the DM if trusted and explain. Sorry this happened at your store
3aTroop 11 points 1y ago
The vomiting party would have been an automatic send home. That’s goes against health and safety standards, so you SM could get a talking to about
, so I would definitely run that up to PCC.
sounds lazy sounds lazy and didn’t want to support a partner. Go home next time, you can’t be forced to work.
, so I would definitely run that up to PCC.
sounds lazy sounds lazy and didn’t want to support a partner. Go home next time, you can’t be forced to work.
Mx0rion 9 points 1y ago
vomiting at work should be a straight send home. we handle food and drink
Intelligent-Kiwi-574 8 points 1y ago
Your co-worker should have walked out. No job is worth that.
CorCaroli11 8 points 1y ago
It definitely is a health code violation. I swear if customers knew how often baristas were forced to come in sick they'd start taking their business elsewhere.
Tallgothwife 2 points 1y ago
Same with restaurants, if people knew how many hands touched their food before going out maybe there’d be less people
impossiblegirlme 7 points 1y ago
I think making a complaint is a good idea, although I do have to say one of the reasons I left Starbucks is because my manager wouldn’t let me go home when I was repeatedly vomiting. I was a shift manager, and we were not a busy location. I was so disappointed in how I was treated I immediately looked for a different job, and quit a couple of weeks later. Good luck to you, and I hope you and your other partners find compassionate places to work eventually.
deeciphered 5 points 1y ago
Last year I was outside taking orders during the winter and got to the point that I was so cold I was nauseous and I ran inside and threw up. I was immediately sent back home
My coworker grabbed me a cup of water since I couldn't go behind the line after throwing up
The asthma attack on its own should have been enough for your coworker to be sent home let alone throwing up which is directly ignoring the rule about not working for 24 hours after throwing up or having a fever (I believe that's the rule not sure off the top of my head but pretty sure on the throwing up bit)
My coworker grabbed me a cup of water since I couldn't go behind the line after throwing up
The asthma attack on its own should have been enough for your coworker to be sent home let alone throwing up which is directly ignoring the rule about not working for 24 hours after throwing up or having a fever (I believe that's the rule not sure off the top of my head but pretty sure on the throwing up bit)
romanianhopscotch 5 points 1y ago
I CANNOT fathom who would be that dense and inconsiderate, like Wtf is wrong with people??? It’s such a low bar, just take care of your employees.
realnewtgeiszler 4 points 1y ago
Def a health code violation, and could be considered discriminatory bc asthma is a disability according to the ADA. If they weren't properly accommodated (continued vomiting being very clearly a worsening condition) and they just insisted they continued working when they were also being sick? That's some bullshit.
iWonderWahl 3 points 1y ago
Vomiting? That is literally in the food safety and covid safety manual. Nope, can't work for 24 hours after that.
Get em. Ethics and compliance time. Forcing a partner to work through a medical emergency in defiance of Health Department Regulations?
This is worth having a damn union rep.
Get em. Ethics and compliance time. Forcing a partner to work through a medical emergency in defiance of Health Department Regulations?
This is worth having a damn union rep.
Swordxxxx 3 points 1y ago
Yeah do a complaint to ethics. As a SSV I would 100% send someone home for having an asthma attack before the vomiting even started.
1) not food safe
2) your manager would be marching his ass home if the same happens to him. Love double standards.
3) if it was me I would want to be at home (or if it’s really bad at the hospital) so why would I make someone do something I wouldn’t want to do.
4) it’s just bean juice. The world isn’t going to end with one barista being at home.
1) not food safe
2) your manager would be marching his ass home if the same happens to him. Love double standards.
3) if it was me I would want to be at home (or if it’s really bad at the hospital) so why would I make someone do something I wouldn’t want to do.
4) it’s just bean juice. The world isn’t going to end with one barista being at home.
No-Wonder8933 3 points 1y ago
99% sure that’s a health code
romansapprentice 3 points 1y ago
Let alone reporting this to corporate I'd be contemplating reporting this to the government, at least in my state this is super illegal on multiple fronts -- 1) health code violation, how are you going to have someone throwing up near food? And 2) probable ADA violation, which is federal law.
Absolutely report this to corporate, store manager needs to be fired IMO. Ethics and compliance. Not just your DM. Corporate is going to see your DM for the legal nightmare that they are.
Absolutely report this to corporate, store manager needs to be fired IMO. Ethics and compliance. Not just your DM. Corporate is going to see your DM for the legal nightmare that they are.
jazzysoranio 2 points 1y ago
Yeah, you’re definitely NOT supposed to stay if you’re vomiting.
horriblyIndecisive 2 points 1y ago
Big problem that your SM shouldve helped solve but another thing: we have a food handler license?? Ive been here 1yr+ and haven't ever heard of this!
rosallia 3 points 1y ago
Shifts and sms have them.
philosopher_cat_lady 1 points 1y ago
What a great SM. Telling a barista to barf in people's food
darkwolf523 1 points 1y ago
I’m pretty sure if your coworker did vomit, the store manager/shift manager have to send them home early because it’s a health violation or something
makmelaf17 1 points 1y ago
Wow remind your shift that it's people's health FIRST!, then store stuff...
If she stores stops breathing does she have to find coverage?
If she stores stops breathing does she have to find coverage?
Zealousideal-Star448 1 points 1y ago
Call your dm and snitch they can’t retaliate at all and if they do you can sue their ass off. Write everything down message your coworker to write it all down as an official statement, did they put in as an incident report in the big book? That’s incredibly dangerous and illegal to make that coworker stay
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