Being sick and sick of being at Starbucks.

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Being sick and sick of being at Starbucks.

(20 posts) (12 voices)

Started 3 years ago by TeaMinus10
Latest reply from TeaMinus10

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TeaMinus10

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Because of the lame Starbucks policy of making sick partners come to work, I have the creeping crud... a violent cold or upper respiratory infection that is pretty dreadful. Since I also have Type 2 Diabetes, a simple cold could spin off into something a bit more serious.

So yesterday I was supposed to work in the afternoon. I woke up (not even that as I din't sleep much of the night) and called the Shift. She wasn't overly sympathetic. She said I had to find someone to cover my shift. I know this is Starbucks policy but it SUCKS! I'm hacking up a lung and my head is about to explode from a sinus infection but yet it's MY responsibility to find a replacement??! Why can't the Shift do that? I don't have anybody's telephone number and I'm about to pass out. She told me to call back in an hour and then she'd give me some phone numbers. I called back and she hands me off to the Assistant Store Manager who says that they think they'll be alright without me. Great.

Same thing today. I hate this place! I hate this job! I hate working for two weeks and getting a piddly little $229.00!!!! If my throat wasn't so raw from coughing I'd scream.

Posted 3 years ago #
seashellez

Member
Internets:300

I've never liked this policy. And with all the swine flu fears you would think they would rather have their "partners" stay home instead of infect everyone in the store. I love it when you come in and are sick but they have you go on bar and make drinks for 3 hours straight.

Posted 3 years ago #
amyness

Member
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oh yes, my favorite. being on bar for hours on hours when you're ill. how considerate of them.

Posted 3 years ago #
parrotheadkrm

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Sorry, I have never worked at Starbucks. What is the policy? They make you work when you sick? Or they make you find your own coverage when you are??? Seriouslly? either way, that's BS? I've never heard of that. I've heard of places saying if you want time off for other reasons, all you have to do is find some one to swap with you, but for calling in sick? thats just stupied.

Posted 3 years ago #
cdonkin

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I also worked for Starbucks, once I had a tooth abcess, sent my manager an email and he badgered me about finding someone; I never did, additional couldn't talk; gave manager ample time to fine someone to replace me; on the warning he wrote I failed to come in to work; didn't mention tooth abcess. Another time I was sick with a cold, called to advise and manager forced to come in to work because another partner didn't come in to work. Next week I had a blown out cold because of it. Starbucks is totally a misleading employer advertising benefits, etc. to employee and all they did with me and almost every other partner was exploit them. The ones that do not see it or say anything have low self-esteem, do not know better.

Posted 3 years ago #
DARKROAST

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Does the management even care that the customers are giving us the awkward eye because they see us hacking at the bar as we make their drink? Of course not! I can't count how may times I absolutely had to go in, especially as a shift, when I was ill. Inevitably, the domino effect takes its toll on the rest of the staff, and everyone falls ill. As long as the dollars are rolling in and labor is down, nobody cares. Oh but if EcoSure pays an unexpected visit, then the partner is scolded for coming in sick! WTF?!?
Regarding the call-in policy, I'm not sure if it's still an unwritten policy, but the MOD is expected to call and find coverage, not the sick partner. However I'm sure with the labor cuts, it's near impossible to do so.

Posted 3 years ago #
parrotheadkrm

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There has got to be some sort of health code violation there I would think.

Posted 3 years ago #
DARKROAST

Member
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Actually Parrot, it IS a Health Code Violation-a major one at that! Any partner who's ever done a Quality Assurance assessment (QASA) should recall that there's a section where it specifically asks if there is a visably-ill partner working on the floor, and if so there is a 5 or 10 point reduction. If the Health Dept were to catch that, it could mean serious probs for the management!

Posted 3 years ago #
starbucksyalater

Member
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Wow. You need to quit this job! Having to go in when you are sick? And for what? An hourly wage of 8 dollars or less per hour? Total suckness! Throw up on the floor as you are walking out!

Posted 3 years ago #
OmgWtfCoffeez

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The phrase triple venti Hanta virus latte never sounded that appealing to me

Posted 3 years ago #
2tallCSL

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Guys check out that lil rectangular booklet you get when you are first hired. It specifically says it is managements responsibility to find coverage. You must provide ample time for the managers to do so though.4 hours is usually the safe zone but obviously the earlier you call the better. Also never accept a corrective that doesnt sound like it could possibly be legal i.e not working while you are contagious. You have a right to not accept a corrective and the space where it as YOU what happened..well please utilize that because unless you are documenting your side of the story you are basically saying that whatever you SM wrote is the absolute truth. Just for fun as to do a Critical Opportunities walk through while you are being forced to work..your manager will be shocked by such innitiative and involment. Then when you nget to the part where it clearly states CRITICAL VIOLATION FOR SICK PARTNERS WORKING..inform your manager that along with milk caraffes all being under 41 degrees and the ice bins covered you will be clocking out to ensure that they dont lose 5 points and have to go to court over you being there. They will love that lol

Posted 3 years ago #
coffee mart wench

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Internets:369

The official policy sounds very sweet (don't come in sick, a manager will cover your shift) but it's absolute B.S. in practice. I had the flu last year and my SM made me stay a full 8 hours, two days in a row, on bar. Finally another shift came in for coffee, saw how sick I was (coughing, hacking, sneezing, etc.), got her apron, clocked in and sent me home. My SM still didn't get it - she said something like, "Oh, that's nice that so-and-so did that for you." WTF?

Of course I should have just clocked out and gone home. But when you need your job - and you work at Starbucks - you just have to put up with outrageous employee rights and health code violations.

I strongly suggest that customers concerned about the flu, etc., pay attention to the partner behind the counter - if they look sick, don't order anything. But don't be nasty to them either - chances are, they really want to go home, and they can't.

Posted 3 years ago #
grandma

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Policy is that you only need to give 2 hrs. notice that you are ill and the mgr. on duty is supposed to cover your shift. Reality is that usually when partners call in you are too understaffed or busy to leave the floor to make 20 phone calls to cover someone and my partners usually did us the courtesy of trying to cover their shifts even as to calling other stores nearby. If they couldn't they where never written up. I had many partners come in sick because they knew to horror of having simeone call out and how it felt to work short. I always let them go home ASAP and if they realyy felt bad we just worked short. They can NEVER be written up for calling in according to policy. But there are mgrs. out there who get upset to the point of cutting hrs. for the next few wks. or sending them home early every time.

Posted 3 years ago #
coffee mart wench

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Agreed, grandma.

As a former shift, I know the horror of trying to cover one (let alone multiple) call-outs when the lobby is full, there's a line in DT, and I still have to make the deposit, count the safe, and give out two 30s ... and get out on time, because by that point it was almost always 6-7 hours into my 8 hour shift, and I was sleep-deprived, hungry, and too busy to think, let alone call every partner who wasn't already working.

But... the store manager never did a damn thing to help us out with covering shifts. If she had, that really would have improved things on my end, at least from a morale perspective. When you're dead tired on your 5th (or 10th...) consecutive day and your manager is being paid salary to work 23 actual hours (she's paid for 40) but she won't even stay a few hours to cover for Sick Parter X... that's when you want to take an ice pick to the b*&$%'s face.

Posted 3 years ago #
2tallCSL

Member
Internets:17

wow coffee mart wench thats crazy!! I've never seen a shift do the subsitute searching because it is managements'(SM,ASM) job to do that when someone calls out. Managers like that really make our lives so much harder than they need to be. I guess things are different in different parts of the country because we never do the depo either and you mentioned that. Remember guys there is #'s to call when your managers arent doing what they are suppose to and making u come in sick and all. Use your tools because they really do work. Managers prey on partners (especially the new ones) who dont know what their rights are.

Posted 3 years ago #
grandma

Member
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My SS's always called for replacements when myself or the ASM weren't there. I was only there 50-60 hrs a wk and only 5 days. My ASM 40 hrs and 5 days so it did work out that there were times when the SS was the mgr. on duty when someone called in. Many times an opener would call in the night before and the SS would call someone in or cover themselves if they weren't working and then leave me a note or call me at home. We always covered each other that way in my store. Also if the SM and ASM are off in the AM the SS did the depo. Maybe thats why I had so few problems with partners.

Posted 3 years ago #
TeaMinus10

Member
Internets:125

Well, I missed three days... or was it four? God, I was so sick this past week, I even was sick on Thanksgiving. Today I went back to work and it was okay. I was coughing a bit but into my shirt. Most of my co-workers were really nice but one guy was such a jerk-off: ordering me around and telling me to hurry up with all the back-ups. I felt much better than I had but I was still running a slight fever and this moron had to be so critical of how long I was taking. He, of course, never gets sick at all. I am trying so hard to get another job that the stress is getting to me.

Thanks for all your advice, everyone. Without this website, I might go postal.

Posted 3 years ago #
seashellez

Member
Internets:300

Tea - he was probably **** that you missed all those shifts and thinks you faked it all! At least it wasn't your SM (hours cut!).

Posted 3 years ago #
decaff4u

Member
Internets:159

When the jerk-off does get sick eventually (you should cough a lot more), don't cover for him.

Posted 3 years ago #
TeaMinus10

Member
Internets:125

decaff4u: Oh, he says he never gets sick because he drinks too much alcohol! I believe it. He always comes to work looking like he's been drinking for hours and hours. When I firsted started working at this store seven months ago, he was late a lot because he would get really drunk and fell asleep on a table or something and then wake up and realize he had to go to work...

And yet... he never gets in trouble or fired or anything whereas I miss four days of work because of the flu and I'm STILL hearing about it!

Yesterday, I coughed (once!) and a co-worker screamed, "Don't you dare make me sick! I don't want to be sick!". God, I wanted to hit him.

Yes, everyone, I got the flu for the sole purpose of MAKING ALL OF YOU SICK! It's part of a sinister PLOT!!! Bwahahahahaha!

God, these cretins...

Posted 3 years ago #

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