A question for anyone who worked at a Starbucks before.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 3:20pm

Today I did something stupid. I slept through the morning shift that I was supposedto cover at my local starubcks today. I called and apologized etc. The manager there said that he would see me on Tuesday my next scheduled day to work. Now, my question is this. Will I get fired for missing a shift? I spoke to one of the other people in charge at the store who I am friends with and she told me that it is company policy to give you a heads up before you get fired and warn you that you will get terminated before actually doing so. So, I do know that it would be against company policy for them to just up and fire me first time walking in on tuesday.

Also, she told me that sleeping through a shift is something that does happen. She told me that even though she is a level above me she had even slept through a shift and she described that as just one of those things that happens.

So, for anyone that has worked at a Starbucks before, will I get fired etc? Or will I get scolded etc and still keep my job?

[Taryn]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 3:31pm

I've never worked at Starbucks, but I can't imagine them firing you if this is the first time this has happened.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 3:35pm

As long as you called you should be okay but, from what I've been hearing in the financial news, Starbucks isn't doing well and may be looking to cut costs. But, I don't know if you'd be one of the cuts.

Just don't sleep through your next shifts. Three missed shifts in a row is considered job abandonment and you're automatically taken off the books.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 3:53pm

Taryn, I do think that you're right.

And, Eris, I know for a fact that the reason why they hired me and another guy was because of the fact that there are a bunch of stores in the area of Long Island that I live in (the one that I work at included) that are understaffed and they are in desperate need of workers.

My mindset is, and I want a second opinion, is that considering that I am needed in terms of the fact that they are still shorthanded even with the two new hires (me being one of the two) so I am guessing that they might not because of that and because this is a first offense. But, that is just me.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:05pm

Shorthanded?

Have you seen the unemployment lines out there?

I would just cross my fingers and hope they don't let you go, because there are millions of people looking for work who probably won't sleep through their shift.

[romantico]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:07pm

I found these sites. Hopefully you can find out for sure. I would guess a warning would be in place but you never can be sure.Good luck!

http://www.starbucksunion.org/forum

http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/mb/SBUX

http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/685

Updated On: 7/19/09 at 04:07 PM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:11pm

My husband was fired from his job last week with no warning. He told his supervisor he didn't want him cussing at him any more.

He has never been in any sort of trouble and the company brought him back after he had left a couple of years ago. He was the IT Supervisor for the Western Region.


They can, and will fire you for nothing, if they feel like it.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:12pm

It is a fact that the starbucks stores in my district are understaffed. All stores have to have a minimum number of people working there as set forth by Starbucks themselves.

A lot of the stores in the district that I am in don't for whatever reason have that number thus holding onto those employees that they have with dear life. It is easier for them to keep someone who is currently working there and knows how to do the job then have to go through the work of retraining someone new when in the end they want to quickly have people behind the bar either making drinks or ringing people up.

And, I do think that my boss is pretty forgiving. And, I do think that I might be safe. I only say this because the girl that used to be our opener only got fired after several missed shifts. And, furthermore, I have gone out of my way three or four times within the passed few weeks for the store when he needed it due to them being shorthanded. I am hoping that my good work karma would come back in my favor.

Theatrediva, in actuality the situation you're describing is not as simple as you or others make it out to be.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:17pm

You don't have an employee handbook with an attendance policy spelled out?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:17pm

Good luck!

[winston89]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 4:45pm

I just found out that my job is as safe. I did say and I was wrong in the information that I gave that one of the girls who works at the store who was our opener got fired for missing work several times. I spoke to one of my shifts and he said that she has yet to be given a warning. Point being is that Starbucks is about teaching and how to teach the right thing etc so unless it is stealing which can get you fired right away. They try to give you a warning first to see if you can correct the mistake. If not, then they fire you. This particular girl had not shown up to work nor given a heads up six times and the manager still has yet to give her a warning. So, I feel that if all that has yet to happen to her after six times. I doubt that any of it is going to happen to me for one mess up.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 5:15pm

Besides, it's frigging STARBUCKS.

It's not like it's a career goal for you, right?

[winston89]

Posted: 7/19/09 at 5:51pm

Well no, but it is a job that I would like to hold onto during the fall while I attend some college classes locally and still have the ability to work.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 12:41am

They can, and will fire you for nothing, if they feel like it.

A few years ago at my old job everyone who'd been with the company for more than a year was let go on January 2. Me included. Most jobs are considered "at will" which means any side can choose to end the relationship at any time for any reason.

And, furthermore, I have gone out of my way three or four times within the passed few weeks for the store when he needed it due to them being shorthanded. I am hoping that my good work karma would come back in my favor.

This is great but can be a slippery slope. Every now and then try to say you can't come in even if you're not doing something. You don't want your job to become all consuming. I did the retail thing in college and, because I needed the money, I'd go in any time they asked me too. Soon I'd be getting calls every single time I had a day off. For the period of several months I was working seven days a week. Every knew if they couldn't work I'd take their shift. Every time I had a Friday or Saturday night this one high school kid would call me up and want me to take her shift. Eventually, I had to put my foot down. You want the job but you don't want it to take over your life. And if you go in every single time they ask you too it will. I'm not saying never cover for anyone but say no every fourth or fifth time. Especially if you start to feel you're working someone else's shifts more than they are.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 12:53am

Actually, you cannot be fired "just because they feel like it". You could bring a lawsuit against them and if they cannot DOCUMENT wrongdoing which you have been given ample time to correct and help you correct -- which would REQUIRE your signature...they would be in the wrong.

Would anyone sue Starbucks over a part time job? Probably not.

A lay off in entirely different from being fired. Your JOB doesn't exist anymore in a layoff.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 7:10am

Eris0303, you're right that Starbucks is a company that hires people at will but they still have a policy for firing people. I also got the same advice from one of my co workers who said the same thing. I also did put my foot down once ( considering the fact that I have only been with them for about three weeks or so) when one of the other partners asked me to cover his shift which was back to back with mine. I said I couldn't do it and they let me leave for the day. I am not saying that this is something that I would do all the time. But, I am saying that I have pulled in some favors for the manager and I am hoping that while he is assessing the situation he will look at those and that those situations will work out in my favor. Besides, my father and I both agreed. Why would he fire me at 3 PM on a Tuesday which was and is my next shift on the schedule followed by what happened this sunday when he could have done so very easily on Monday?

Dramamama is right. Even though it is at will firing they can't legally walk in and point to someone behind the counter and say you're fired just for ****s and giggles. They have to legally give you a reason for termination otherwise you can sue. And Starbucks has a policy where they do warn you before they fire you. So it isn't as if they never give you a warning or never tell you why you're getting fired.

I do however have a problem with the "Starbucks Union." Which make Starbucks look like this evil company that can do no good. My logical question is is that if they see it as an evil company then why work for them? I am not saying that I'm anti union I am just trying to say that that if they think that Starbucks is so bad then why work for them?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 9:15am

Actually, you cannot be fired "just because they feel like it".

Isn't New York an at-will employment state? If so, then I believe you can be fired just because they feel like it.

Have you not even been back to work since this happened? How many days a week do you even work? This just seems like a bunch of hand-wringing (not to mention acting on hearsay and asking for more hearsay instead of, I don't know, maybe talking to your BOSS) without actually figuring anything out.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 9:15am

With "at will employment" they don't need that great of a documented reason. "Down sizing" is sufficient.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 9:19am

Back in college, I slept through a shift once (not at Starbucks). They had to call me and ask me where I was. My schedule had just changed that week, so I forgot to set my alarm. When you're working an inconsistent schedule, it can happen. As long as you don't make a habit of it, they'll probably forget about it completely.

Updated On: 7/21/09 at 09:19 AM

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 9:24am

Seems to me you had your question answered clearly by the person who works above you at Starbucks. That was in your first post.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 9:24am

In at-will employment states, they can site any number of reasons to let someone go.

[D2]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 9:25am

Once again, Phyllis is right on the money.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 11:31am

The thing is is that the employee handbook does not say anything about attendance policy etc it does however talk about how much time you have to work before being able to get sick or vacation pay etc. But, in the beginning of the booklet it does stat in a box at the bottom of the table of contents that Starbucks is an at will corporation. So the question I am wondering is that if one is working at let's say a starbucks for example in a state that does not allow at will employment yet that is the company policy, which out rules the other. Would Starbucks have to change their policy for that state or is it that the rules of the corporation override the rules of the state?

And Orangeskittles, I do think you're right about the inconsistent shift thing. Hell, everyone that works there checks the schedule in the back some time during their shift to see if and when they are on the next day. So it does fluctuate a fair amount.

[D2]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 11:40am

Winston, what time are you due at work? Sleeping through a shift is one thing. Posting through it is an entirely different matter.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/21/09 at 11:42am

Sorry...they still cannot just fire you for no reason. Down sizing IS a reason....and they cannot just willy nilly through that at you.

That being said: Starbuck (from everyting I've heard) is an outstanding organization to work for, and I'd be shocked if they would hold one error against you. Very few corporations would.