Are Starbucks partners being unfairly deprived of medical benefits (or did this guy just not see the notice)?

A STARBUCKS GOSSIP reader and Starbucks employee writes:

I am a partner with the company for 2 years. I have no problem maintaining as many hours as I need (which is usually right around 250 in order to maintain benefits). I got a letter in the mail yesterday informing me that I have lost my benefits as I only worked 225 hours in the quarter.  After checking, I determined that I did indeed work 250 hours before the last day of the business quarter but both of the benefits agents that I have talked to so far have explained that I should have received a notice via a poster in the store that the quarter (this time) ended 2 weeks early on June 15th. My family is now without benefits and asking around locally, I've discovered that this has happened to 2 other partners I know (both with over 7 years in the company). I am now trying to gather information to determine if this is more widespread than my store and district.  Do you think that there is any way that your readers could pitch in and ask around?  If this is more widespread (as I believe it is), then the company has opened itself up to a can of worms. I am concerned about my fellow partners.

Anyone have a similar story to share?

Comments

[former sm]

The cut off dates for benefits change every year. I've had partners who missed it just by the skin of their teeth because they didn't add up their hours correctly. SBUX Partner Resources does a very poor job of getting the word out on the benefits cut off dates, so I'm sure it's affected many partners.

Before I left the company, my DM actually demanded that I start cutting hours from partners to lower the cost of benefits. Needless to say, I think you can understand why I'm no longer with the company.

[longtime patrner]

i have lost my insurance benefits several times by being less than an hour from the 240 hours required even though iwas technically eligible by twenty hours or more.

[george]

R u an adult, u need to be responsible tough luck

[ASM in hell]

We've received no such poster or information in our store!

[Me]

I have been with Starbucks for over 8 years and the quarter has always ended two weeks before the quarter end date. I know it stinks and losing benifits is difficult, several people I know have lost them for .25 hours. Its sad. I do not think he/she is dealing with a district or store situation and it happened "this time" it has been a benefit requirement as long as I have had them. I have also been in a postion to write schedules and I have never been asked to cut or manage hours to cut cost. Store managers are not technically responsible for tracking hours for benefits and cut off dates. That is why the packet is sent to partners houses. Starbucks has an seperate company that manages benefits. I always asked my partners to give me their hours to date about month before the quarter ended so we had plenty of time to get hours needed to maintain benifits. I know it's hard however you can get them back in 3 months. Best of luck to you :)

[cornfrost]

The calendar for benefits is very confusing. Typically, if you get paid weekly, the week ending Sunday, June 22 and paycheck received Friday, June 27 would be the paycheck by which you would need 240 paid hours per quarter.

The Sunday before the last Friday of the month is the last day to be eligible.

It is not "right around 250 hours" to maintain benefits. It is precisely a minimum of 240 hours.

A good way to make up the needed time is by using vacation hours or your personal day. The calendar is so confusing that usually even the managers cannot calculate it properly.

I don't know if there was an exception this time and the quarter ended early. If Starbucks will not make an exception for you and reinstate your benefits, you'd best go on cobra for three months and then get back on benefits. This is really terrible and I am sorry this happened. It is an expensive lesson to learn.

[canadianbarista]

I'm surprised so many people are almost eligible for benefits. I never get the 20 hours I request so I've never in the 3 years I've been with the company been eligible to get benefits at all. Luckily I live in Canada so I'm covered anyways.

[Equalamongequals]

If you're cutting it this close you have plenty of ways to be sure you don't lose benefits:

1.) online. Lifeat.Sbux.com I'm sure you can find cutoff dates listed somewhere here or linked here.
2.) The portal. Do a search. I'm sure it's there.
3.) The partner contact center. They know everything. I put their number in my phone so i never have to look it up and can call immediately when I have a random question.
4.) There should be postings in store, but sometimes that doesn't happen. That's OK, because of all the other ways to learn this information.
5.) Your store manager or ASM, who would most likely direct you to the options above.

In other words, if you NEED benefits and are cutting it close there are more than enough resources available to help you.

[bayareabux]

I really don't see why this is so hard for people. Your pay stub keeps a running tally of your QTD hours. It's pretty easy to find out what you need to get to the magic 240. Read your paycheck - I'm astounded at the number of people who don't!

Secondly, it's all about the hours paid in a quarter, not about the hours worked. The cutoff is always the last paycheck of the quarter, so when you collect that paycheck, the hours you are working that week have already started to go to next quarter's pay. Find out when the last paycheck comes in a quarter, then count back to SUNDAY and that's the day by which you needed to have had your hours or taken your vacay.

More employee negligence than corporate malice at work here, imo.

[jabanga]

it certainly can be confusing. some of the quarters actually have extra time in them others do not but i don't believe any of the quarters are short. i used to help any partners in my store that i knew tended to cut it close make sure they did not short themselves inadvertently but in the end it is their responsibility. trying to manage it that closely is a risk to be sure. as someone else pointed out one place where people constantly trip up is the differentiation between hours worked and hours paid. as for the posters that break it down, they are usually distributed and i always posted them. it is quite possible that some managers with everything else coming in as far as store communications do not get around to posting them but in the end: if its your benefits it really is your responsibility to make sure you maintain them. not knowing when the quarter ends and when the last eligible workday is certainly puts you at risk if you have no cushion.

[BAYAREABUX]

I also add that for everyone being paid bi-weekly, there was an extra pay in Q3, 7 instead of the usual 6, so it actually should have been especially easy to qualify for benefits.

Tip: When I get my paychecks, I number them 1/6, 2/6, or 1/7, etc. Simple record keeping - again, I can't believe anyone could find this too difficult. It's not the DMV. It's not the IRS. There are greater challenges in life than getting your SBUX bennies.

[Pat Nerr]

just the nature of this discussion and the intracacies of having to figure out if you're good for bennies or not on a quarterly basis is good evidence of a broken program...

"Hi, We're Starbucks and we provide medical benefits for PT people... psst... that is if you can actually figure it all out."

Guess they think that making a benefit available is enough...

[Zipy]

at the age of 22 I have no problem 'getting' how my benefits work, taking advantage of them, and keeping them. My secret? I make sure I work 30+ hours a week. Hard to cut it close, that way.

"But my store never gives me the hours!" We all know how that works and we all know there's plenty of ways to get extra hours.

[Christin]

Starbucks is not trying to 'cheat' anyone out of benifits here.

As many have already stated, it's easy to figure out how to find out what week is the last week to get your hours in (either by poster posted in back room, Lifeatsbux website, figuring it out yourself, or calling partner resources).

Partners have come to me several times on their own motivation after having found out when the last week to qualify is and asked me to give them a few more hours to help them out, which I happily do.

[barristerbarista]

There's a poster on our BOH wall that clearly states what paychecks count for benefits, and the date by which hours must be earned by. The date hours need to be earned by is always earlier than the date the quarter ends. If this poster isn't up in the BOH at this partner's place of work, than he/she should inquire. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about this quarter's earned by date, and I didn't hear about any other partners at my store having any problems.

But that said, this is nothing new, as in my experience the hours earned by date has always been earlier than the quarter ends date.

[barristerbarista]

There's a poster on our BOH wall that clearly states what paychecks count for benefits, and the date by which hours must be earned by. The date hours need to be earned by is always earlier than the date the quarter ends. If this poster isn't up in the BOH at this partner's place of work, than he/she should inquire. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about this quarter's earned by date, and I didn't hear about any other partners at my store having any problems.

But that said, this is nothing new, as in my experience the hours earned by date has always been earlier than the quarter ends date.

[rustedart]

I believe our QTD is on our pay stub each, week/biweekly.

[truth]

Pat Nerr is correct. They are talking out of both sides.

If mgmt was so worried about 'partners' being left without benefits, they would have a way to retroactively grant them.

(Yes, it's possible. Companies do it all the time for big-wigs.) I know this first-hand.

Also, when they make another huge layoff, they will cite the need to 'control labor costs and overhead'. Med bens are a huge part of that.

[Tiredofpatnerr's'tude]

This is without merit. Zipy is right. The partners that want 20 hours a week on the nose and not an hour more are typically the partners that run into this problem. If you're that concerned about it, work more, then when you request a week off for vacation or miss due to something else, it doesn't put you behind the eight ball. Don't listen to Patnerr, that's one jaded former partner. Always bemoaning everyting Sbux does, no matter what. Move on, get on with life.

[manager]

Managers I trained under sometimes claimed it's so hard to get everyone 20 hours. I have foudn it effective to know your partners. You know the ones who want benefits. You know the ones who need hours. You know the ones to call when you need a shift covered.

A lot of managers have issues with the scheduling system. Once you spend sometiem with it, anyone with a bit of a brain should be able to ensure all of their partners requirements are met.

I always make sure all of my partners who are in work expirience get their hours, i make sure 4 who need benefits get their hours. I make sure my hardest workers get recognized for their efforts.

Another problem with managers who have trained me is that because they don't get to know their partners well, the end up over staffing and

[manager]

Managers I trained under sometimes claimed it's so hard to get everyone 20 hours. I have foudn it effective to know your partners. You know the ones who want benefits. You know the ones who need hours. You know the ones to call when you need a shift covered.

A lot of managers have issues with the scheduling system. Once you spend sometiem with it, anyone with a bit of a brain should be able to ensure all of their partners requirements are met.

I always make sure all of my partners who are in work expirience get their hours, i make sure 4 who need benefits get their hours. I make sure my hardest workers get recognized for their efforts.

Another problem with managers who have trained me is that because they don't get to know their partners well, the end up over staffing instead of spending 10% more time makign their schedule.

The money it costs for benefits can be saved by hiring less people, with betetr availability, who work harder.

Have those "fierce" conversations we have all been hearing about and widdle down your team.. Carry 18 partners instead of 22. etc.

[TiredofPatnerr's'tude]

Manager-
I agree with you -to a point. The problem with staffing less is this- we schedule flexibly, we attract all kinds of people to our stores because they know that we will work around what they have going on in their lives. So, when you take away staffing options and those partners need a day off that they usually work, well, you're suddenly understaffed. So, ultimately, it needs to be the responsibility of the manager to communicate to those partners that want 20+ hours, what they need to provide in the way of avail. in order to schedule them for it, or they can get scheduled less and pick up shifts on their own accord.

[Zipy]

True enough, I agree with the partners being part of the issue as well. I have so many co-workers, friends in fact, who "NEED" more then 20 hours a week! Course, they can't work mondays for school. Or Thursdays, 'cause they have sport, also, Fridays and Sundays they have clubs/church.

Nothing wrong with that, I am all for having a real life, but I personally am aviable 24/7 and I tend to get more hours. Go figure? When school starts back up again, I wont be. Odds are, my hours will be 20-25ish, and thats the price I pay for working a job that has extreme flexability and allows me to go to school.

[truth]

I didn't realize they had laid off the corp social responsibility dept already.

[Darleen]

If mgmt was so worried about 'partners' being left without benefits, they would have a way to retroactively grant them.

(Yes, it's possible. Companies do it all the time for big-wigs.) I know this first-hand.

You're kidding me, aren't you? A company this size should send out what? Email? Letters? Reminders? Some companies may do that for the "big wigs" as you put it, but for a company with as many partners as we have it should be up to each partner to read their check stub to keep up with hours. It isn't rocket science, and no, the big bad corporation is not out to get you. If a partner misses it, they go on cobra for one quarter and then sign up again. As much as some might want to think so, starbucks is not responsible for your hours, you are. They give the benefit to us, if we want to take advantage of it, as many have stated, there are many resources available. You can say what you want about Starbucks, but we offer excellent health benefits, and in no way shape or form is anyone purposely keeping you from getting them.

[baristadude]

This is a very interesting subject. There is accountability on both ends. I know who needs what hours and who is taking care of our customers. Those that contribute get the hours, not those that want them. It makes no sense to give hours to 'weaker' partners simply because they need it. There needs to be a good mix of partners who are both seasoned and new to balance the store for my customers.

I personally take responsibility to notify my partners (and I do) that those that contribute and are available get the larger part of the hours. In most cases, newer partners may get hours over longer-term (not stronger) partners simply because of availability. I can't use someone if they can't work the shift!

Secondly, when a partner changes their availability or requests multiple time off, I remind them of the impact on the schedule and their accumalative hours. Partners that are very busy and need numerous time off shouldn't be suprised that thier hours are lower. Yet, I can't count how many times they thought their check was shorted but forgot they took 4 days off on a previous weekend.

Partner's have their own level of responsibility. The store is not responsible for keeping track of your running hours (we don't even have access - that's private information). There are numerous areas (not just the poster) that speak to what you get and where to get it. I find many don't watch their hours until it becomes a problem and then it is usually too late. Insurance eligibility is not forgiving in any company, you either make the threshold or you don't. You need to track and keep track of your hours and talk to your SM if you have concerns BEFORE the end of the quarter or it may be too late.

BTW: I always have this conversation up front after asking an applicant what their expectation is around hours. If they are looking for lots of hours, I have a candid conversation around what to expect and ask if that will work for them, if not, we pass. Even if they may be great, if I can't offer them what they need to make their lives work financially, they are just going to leave for something else. Can't blame them.

Good topic gang.

[Stacy]

I have to agree with all those saying it's not as hard as you think to figure out. Sure it can be confusing at first glance but if you actually pay attention or ask questions, you will find all the answers you need. There shouldn't have to be any calculating of hours other than:
240 hours - QTD hours payed (conveniently printed on pay stubs)

Partners need to understand that just because your availability is for 20 hours a week, it doesn't mean that you are going to be working those 20 hours. Availability is just that; you are able to work these hours but you may not be NEEDED for 20 hours worth of work. And just because your store is understaffed it doesn't mean that you're going to work 20 hours either. If 10 baristas are only available from 5am to 10am, that means there are 10 of you fighting for 35 hours of work. I understand that many people want this job because it can generally work around the rest of your life but sometimes, you have to give leeway and be willing to work a bit more than normal.

There are several ways to ensure you don't fall below 240 hours. It's your responsibility to make it work. Starbucks is not at fault here. You are.

[luna]

Howard !!!!!!!!!! I am going to College and working 24 hours a week does suck.I do not live off of 24 hours,okay?Working here has humbled me a lot...Better future awaits me.

[Luna]

I love the coffee,but I hate my managers and supervisors..They are not professionally prepared.Starbucks likes the beauty of people,good smile,good attitude,but it does not bring professionalism.My days with the company are coming down.Howard,you were the worst CEO I have ever had.Believe me.

[Pat Nerr]

"Don't listen to Patnerr, that's one jaded former partner. Always bemoaning everyting Sbux does, no matter what. Move on, get on with life."

Just saying it could be a helluva lot easier on the partners and the company if they put some energy into it... Put something in place to alert partners of where they're at each paycheck... hell, put it on their paystub... then tell them about it... Like Bean Stock... I'm sure new folks are enticed by the proposition of coming to work for a company that offers a benefit to nobody right now.. .it's unusable... and worthless. Some benefit.

[Kitty]

I have a question to you US-partners regarding hours:

I work in an European market, so I'm not sure how the US-system works. We are guaranteed our hours by contract, so if we signed a contract for 20 hours a week, we get them.

Do your contracts just contain your hourly wage, but not the hours? And if so, do your hours vary from week to week?

Just curious. :o)

[Stacy]

Put something in place to alert partners of where they're at each paycheck... hell, put it on their paystub

It is on our pay stubs.

... then tell them about it.

What do you want them to do? Mail out notices that say "LOOK AT YOUR CHECK STUB!"?? This isn't grade school. If you can't be bothered to read your own check stub, then there isn't much anyone else can do for you.

[Dave]

Starbucks makes the benefits available; it's up to you to figure out how to get it.

Once you're eligible, Starbucks sends you the packet and it has all the info as well as the timetable in it. If you don't read it and just assume you know when the end of the quarter is, then too bad. It's not corporate's responsibility to spoon-feed you the information.

Yes, the quarters end earlier than the end of the month -- but that also means the quarters start earlier than the beginning of the month.

When I started, I made sure to work 30+ hours/week so I wouldn't have to worry about being cut off. Now I'm in school and can barely pull 20, and yes, I'm aware my availability sucks, so I'm keeping an close eye on my hours down to the minute and putting in more vacation hours. So far, it's worked fine.

[lattegal]

I wouldn't call the posting a "poster". It's a table which is printed on an 8.5 X 11 peice of paper which is laminated and should be posted in all stores. The heading on the paper is "Maintaining Your Benefits Eligibility".

I made a copy of ours and have it at home just to make sure I get my hours in correctly. If you don't have one posted in your store you need to have your SM get a copy of it and post it. The last line on the paper says "STORE MANAGER: PLEASE POST FOR ALL PARTNERS THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2008"

[TiredofPatnerr's'tude]

Patnerr-
you're always "just saying" I'm not trying to be a jerk, but what was the date on your last paystub from Sbux? Doesn't it get tiring putting all this energy into getting others to hate Sbux because you got done wrong? Wouldn't your efforts be better suited focusing on your future? The sad part is, you have some useful knowledge to share, unfortunately it is CRYSTAL CLEAR that you haven't an ounce of objectivity when it comes to this company. Everything the company does will automatically reek in your in eyes. By being that obviously slanted against the company, it makes everything you say sound like noise. I'd like to here something that wasn't fueled by your getting burnt by a company that,I think, you really,really loved. I'm just sayin'

[seventysix [76]]

On a weekly basis, I am scheduled for 28-34 hours because I have complete open availability. Every week, I work 40 hours on the nose. How? I am always willing to help other stores in my district as well as partners within my own store. I need the money because I'm saving for school/expenses, and I will work 40 hours a week.

It's not hard, guys. It just requires strategy and organization. Fortunately I am blessed with a good health plan outside of Starbucks and do not need to watch my hours for benefits, but if I did I know I would get them.

[Pat Nerr]

I guess I missed this site's notice that you needed to be objective to post here... I don't think I've ever mentioned getting "burned" by SBUX either... Just here for balance... take from it what you want or don't

just sayin'

[good]

sbux needs to save some money. they need to say people need to work 40 hrs before benes kick in.

plus investors love news like this. yay to the company saving some cash.

[truth]

It's a manager's job to make sure the employees are being 'managed'. Benefits are a key element to employment. If a staff member needs creative reminders to stay benefit-eligible, that's part of my job as a manager.

As a manager, it's my job to make sure the staff is getting full value. That's how I've always looked at it. It's how I always will.

You can be 100% company-focused and stay on budget AND take care of your staff.

That's why they call it 'management'.

[Pat Nerr]

...like it's the right thing to do to remind employees to take their personal day... sure, people forget... but then, a reminder would illustrate that the company actually cares that people use the benefit...

again... just sayin'

[HoldingMyOwnHand]

You want Starbucks to remind you to take your personal day? Really?

You have got to be kidding me. Gee, if I am given a free day every six months, I think I can take the personal responsibility to manage that time off. I do it with all the personal and vacation time I am granted.

That is just laziness. Pat, what did you do at Starbucks exactly? Were you one of the people let go that actually made sense? You did nothing? It sure seems that your attitude is very telling as to your work ethic. "The man" is always trying to stick it to you. Big bad Starbucks.

Don't get me wrong. A lot of poor decisions were made and I don't agree with all of the solutions to fix them. The difference is that they are actually being discussed and worked on. Not many companies that I have worked for can say that.

[Charles]

Every company I have worked for, Starbucks included, has told me well in advance when deadlines are for signing up for benefits, when vacation time expirers, etc.... NO company I have every worked for has ever reminded me the week before the deadlines to hurry and sign up or actually take my vacation days. I guess most employers would think once they told their employees timelines and procedures and provided them with multiple channels of resources they would "get it" and be able to manage their lives accordingly. What's next? Do you want Starbucks to schedule your oil changes and remind you to send your mother a birthday card? If you are too unmotivated, lazy, careless, whatever you will, to take advantage of benefits, I am pretty sure that is your problem, not Starbucks'.

[truth]

This thread is really showing the true colors of some of the crappy attitudes of middle management.

Actually, the 'free day' is not free at all. It's a personal day and it's earned.

An effective manager tracks their employees' earned accruals....(and here's punch-line).... and then makes sure their staff uses them. It's part of the staff-planning process. Just like you plan to cover holidays. Just like you plan to spread out vacations of key staff rather than let everyone take time off at once.

Personal/vacation/holiday time exists to help staff avoid burnout and deal with personal issues. If your staff isn't using their time off, your staff is not performing optimally. HR 101.

A manager who treats their 'partners' like idiots (or implies that they are idiots) for not using their accrued time is a bad manager.

Staff management is your job, managers. Otherwise, march in and demand a pay cut, because that's what you are getting paid for. To manage. Your staff.

[Take Responsibility]

Your QTD (Quarter To Date) hours are on every pay stub you receive. This will give you a running total of the hours you are earning. Look at it!!!Also, a poster is sent at the start of every fiscal year and should be posted for all partners. It can also be found on the portal. The benefit quarters have never matched the fiscal or calendar quarter since I have been a SM (8 1/2 years and counting. If you are cutting it that close to 240, take some responsibility to manage your hours. Vacation time can be used towards that time as well so if you are close, use some.

[Phil]

Got the same letter, but i was under 240... i think i've gotten away with it before, but these days the bucks is a different story... penny pinching... digging themselves out of a whole... I can see already that the pr whole is getting deeper though. Good thing I'm a student and I have the option of student health insurance... still not a pleasant letter to get.

[Pat Nerr]

Truth... save your fingers. The "employees" commenting now about responsibility and what not have obviously never been decent managers who care that their people and look out for them... To them, they think delegating is the same as abdicating. FYI... I was a top producing manager who never missed a target or goal in 8 years of working in the stores. Having the top profit % in the company does not come by accident... So what you throw my way is easily dismissed. As easily dismissed as today's partners are without a care in the world...

but I digress... just sayin'

..I.

[P.R.I.D.E.]

I support all of the managers who are advocating that their staff use the tools and resources available to track hours:

QTD on all paystubs
Portal lists deadlines
Poster in all stores

I prefer the method of teaching our partners to "fish" versus feeding little guppies into their mouths every day. An effective manager knows how to use our tools and resources and makes them available for their staff.

An ineffective manager (TRUTH) is what you essentially describe. This is not a childcare center, we are all responsible adults and I would feel like I was being treated like a child if I was handheld the way you describe. It doesn't teach me anything but to not pay attention to tools and resources, if I know my manager will take time away from customers and the business to create additional useless channels of communication to remind us of what the tools and resources already tell us. HR 101.

I also find it interesting (TRUTH) that most of your posts are clearly from an investor perspective, all of whom would probably disagree with you and state that managers need to be focused on customer, business, AND partner. We are not paid simply for staff management, we have a business to run and customer to satisfy (as you clearly point out in the rest of your posts).

[P.R.I.D.E.]

I was a top producing manager who never missed a target or goal in 8 years of working in the stores.- Pat Nerr

And now you spend every day posting on a Sbux gossip site, LOL. What growth you've obtained Pat...

[Mark]

Geez, what's next? Are we going to have to wipe our partner's tooshies every time they take a poo-poo while on the clock? As noted above, there are SEVERAL resources available to our partners to keep track of these things, and it should be explained clearly how the system works and what the partners' expectations are before they begin working (shame on those managers who don't educate their partners). Beyond that, take responsibility for yourself. If it's that important to you, take some initiative and stay on top of it. As managers, yes it's our job to manage. But there's a difference between managing and holding partners' hands. I take the time to educate my partners. After that, it's your responsibility. If I want to wipe asses and hold hands, I'll go home and take care of my baby girl.

[truth]

You heard it here first.

Managing store staff = wiping their bottoms.

Very respectful.

ONWARD!!