Howard Schultz got a 25% pay boost in 2009

The Starbucks CEO's total compensation for the year was $12.1 million. His base salary was lower -- $643,954, compared to the $1.2 million it had been for the previous couple of years -- but he earned a bonus of $1 million (after no bonus in 2008) and received option awards worth $9.5 million (compared with $7.7 million in 2008). Schultz's "other compensation" -- insurance premiums, security and retirement plan contributions, etc. -- rose 22% to $935,676. || Read "Howard Schultz's pay increased 25% in 2009"

Comments

[me myself and I]

Yay, this means we are going to get a 25% increase as well with the next paycheck, right? RIGHT?

[SBUX Alum Bill]

I guess this also means that those fortunate "partners" that participated in the company's reorganization (through the sacrifice of their jobs) can also expect a 25% raise. Oh wait - 25% of nothing is still nothing! I guess you could say that we DID receive a 25% raise. When Howie figures that out, he'll probably go on NBC again to boast about how well he's treated his ex-"partners."

[Barista Ben]

a CEO made a large amount more money then the rest of us? Good lord what is this world coming to.

[karldotcom]

I am sure Wyclef's pay went up 25% also this year.

Just Saying.

[me myself and I]

Barista Ben, it's not about the amount he got (even though I think nobody's work should be worth that much, but that is for another discussion), it is about the percentage of raise. I really think if a CEO wants more, he should give everybody else the same percentage. It's only fair. The CEO would still get considerable more than everybody else, because 25% out of 12 million is still more than 25% out of 15.000.
But if the company got x% more productive the minions get nothing and the CEO gets 25%. Hardly fair. A 3% raise for everybody would have been nicer. Basically the message he sends is, we are not saving money to save the company but to fill Howards wallett.

Pathetic, especially with this hilarious "focus on partners" letter he wrote. Apparently he only meant himself.

[SBUX Customer]

I'm going to go off topic for this post. Was waiting for the open-thread but it don't see one today.

What is Starbucks return policy for merchandise?
Today I went to Starbucks and purchased a tumbler. However, it did not fit in the water bottle holder on my bookbag because of the rubber grip. I want to return it and purchase another tumbler that has no rubber grip. When I made the purchase, I turned down the receipt. Therefore, I do not have a receipt but I did pay with my registered Starbucks card. Also, I removed the transparent sticker from the tumbler that said keeps your driks hotter. Am I still able to return it? Also, what happens to returned tumblers? Do they get put back on the shelves, returned to the manufacturer, or do they get thrown away?

[Andy, Shift Supervisor, Maryland]

Regarding the return-

It would've been better to have done it right away. There's a new policy - You must have a receipt now to return or exchange merchandise. If you turned down the receipt they still could have looked it up from the register right away, or if it had been more than 8 transactions it could've been looked up by a manager from the back computer. But once the business day is over they can't look up old receipts.

I would try going in to talk to either the Store Manager or Assistant Manager and see what they say.

[harmaa]

I just got my W2. As a "fulltime" barista, I made 15,000.

Thanks, Howard.

(And I would still donate it all to Haiti if I could...)

[Jos]

I work at the SSC busted my butt in the last year I GOT 1.75% raise where's the luv Howard! Not words actions! raises!

[Graylin]

I think it's extremely self-serving, and a bit insulting to the men and women who make Howard's wallet so fat that he think he deserves a bigger percentage up than anyone else. I'm sure he is spending a lot of his time and energy attempting to make Starbucks grow, but how is his effort 22% better than all the full time baristas I know? I know so many people in this company who work hard every single day, often talking and obsessing about Starbucks while they're off work. Howard's actions simply tell me that he is unappreciative of everything they contribute. Take care of the people who take care of the business. Starbucks is not the same as working fast food. It takes good people to make good baristas, and I promise you not anyone can do what we do.

[Crema]

Is the raise-freeze company-wide or just a local thing? Getting my review Monday and not looking forward to 0 recognition for doing my SM's job for the past 6 months.

[Gone]

Pay raise? Deserved? Hmmmm....

Starbucks is #93 on the just-release Fortune magazine "100 Best Companies to World For"

But it's ok...we'll take our 2% increase and our increase in medical rates. As long as those in the ivory tower are taken care of.

[Joe]

How many of our revoked personal days could Howard's raise have funded? How about our weeks of vacation that were taken away?

[ANGRYSADLADY]

I don't care about personal days, but when was the last time base pay was increased? Are our measly 6 month review raises meant to keep our salaries competitive against inflation??? Because I've worked here for 2.5 years and I make less than a dollar more than minimum wage~!!

[SBUXNOMORE]

Howard wants to restore "the romance" to Starbucks...but first he must pad his wallet.

Starbucks will continue to take an axe to labor, continue moronic "lean" programs and continue to fire people until they have 5 or 6 people working in their pathetic fast-food joints. I can just see the press release now: "We've decided that to better serve our valued customers we are going to a "lean" coffee shop where there will only be 1 person working for 8 hours. We feel this will optimize the customer experience and really bring back that connection between the customer and the barista. The romance will be back and the customer will really get to know the staff since there will only be 4-6 people running a store. We've also done away with the SM position since we feel as though our outside hiring of DM's and RD's will further streamline our coaching, team building and store oversight. Thanks for being loyal to us and for allowing us to once again bring back our focus on handcrafted drinks and the romance of coffee".

I just threw up a little bit typing all this.

[ICU]

Sbuxnomore...woah, did you copy/paste that from the future? I could very honestly see that happening.

[Julio Valcaca]

He works very hard; he has made Starbucks into what it is. He deserves even more of a raise. Thank you Howard!

[Julio Valcaca]

We employees are just replacable pawns. Anyone can do our jobs but there is only ONE Howard.

[SBUXNOMORE]

Julio,

I don't doubt that he is a hard worker for one minute. He runs a massive company and probably should get paid what he does to run it. I just don't believe him or buy into his waxing poetic about what starbucks "is". I used to...I used to tow the party line when it came to starbucks and everything he would spew out quarter to quarter. I bought in to it...fully. It's a lie. Everything he says about "caring" and "partners coming first" is a lie. Everything he says about "romance" and "the coffee experience" is a lie. It may be what he has fooled himself into thinking but it is NOT the reality at the store level. There have been too many great partners fired or who have quit over the years. It is NOT about "the coffee" or about the "starbucks experience" (whatever that happens to be this quarter). It is about making money and spending the least amount of money to do it. He is just using the logo and the name to push mediocrity...and it will continue down that road until he sells his shares and jumps ship...again.

[Reagan was a robot]

You can pay Disney Robot CEO's? Damn this has warped my fragile little mind

[hearbutloud]

I just have a hard time believing anyone NEEDS that much money. If I can live happily and comfortably on what the bucks pays (plus student loans), driving a POS that only unlocks from the passenger side, and never, ever eating at a restaurant or going to the movies, or really anywhere outside of a 10-mile radius, with constant debt and money movement to keep the bills paid... then why can't he? I'm sure he works hard. So do I. So do most other partners. Not just at work, but in life. And now that wages are barely over minimum wage, well let's just say I'm really starting to hate corporate CEOs and their complete and utter selfishness. They are hoarding money that is needed by others. I don't want their damn money, but I bet there are people in Africa, Indonesia, Latin America, or the Caribbean who would love to have it. Greedy, selfish bastards. (The love of money is the root of all evil.)

[Belvadere J]

I find it irritating that due to an incompetent store and district manager I have gone without a raise since last January. My last raise should have been in July with another review occurring around now. Sure I'll get my retro but the situation is quite indignant.

[Robert]

Yay, Howie! You suck! I bet he's busy calculating in a really dark room somewhere with all his paid off accountants and lawyers how many more partners he can lay off and pay change for severence pay to get an even higher salary next year. yay!

Personally, and I am being 110% honest here, this company has been going down the toilet since I started back in '01, and it just keeps getting worse. I have seen the stores and the company go through so many costly and unneeded changes and i always laugh a little more inside when i wonder why i am still working for starbucks.. and it comes down to... the customers, they keep me coming back, not Howard Schultz. He's someone i never see. I see customers 24/7, and they make this job magical for me and so many others.

Now, how bout some raises? And how about a return to our former insurance, because this new stuff sucks...

[starbucksmngr]

In one word on behalf of all partners and managers....UNETHICAL!

[cry me a river]

I got a 1% increase for Meeting Expectations on my last review which almost covered the increase to our health benefits. My take home pay was actually less after my raise. Wasn't able to bonus almost at all last year as well since the Targeted Sales goals were increased insanely for my store right as the economy went in the shitter.

[begin sarcasm]Glad we were able to afford Howard the 25% increase.[/end sarcasm]

[guenstig uebernachten windeck]

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