I've worked for Starbucks, here in London, United Kingdom, few years now. Anyway, there is this bonus system for baristas and supervisors. I don't have the leaflet with me, but the point is, that barista working full time can receive up to £250 of bonus per year quarter if the store achieve some previously set up level of sales. I have been always suspecting that there is similar system for ASMs and SMs.
Today I have read the new "Operations Bulletin" (internal "newspaper") and there was an information about some changes in this program. What was shocking for me, there was also information about this bonus for managers and theirs' assistants. Came out that ASM gets five times more bonus then a barista, and managers gets even ten times more money! I am serious and this is solid.
In case of the biggest sales and therefore bonus, barista will get £250, ASM will get £1250 and SM will be receive £2500! I understand the fact, that ASMs and SMs have more responsibility and all this kind of stuff... but please... they are already being paid two times more money then baristas (according to my knowledge, but I cannot provide you any proof, ASMs get £11 and SM £14 per hour). In my humble opinion, such big differences in bonus quotas are just not fair and unacceptable.
Your thoughts?
UK Barista, you aren't supposed to be able to make ends meet when working an entry level job that requires nor formal education. Those jobs are SUPPLEMENTAL income. The point of an entry level job is to move up or move on.
Posted by: All for socialized medicine and necessary social programs, hate the entitlement mentality they breed. | May 30, 2011 at 10:15 AM
Let's clarify few things here.
As it was already said in the article ASM gets £11 and SM gets £14. I am, as a barista in London, being paid £6.60 an hour. National Minimum Wage in United Kingdom is £5.93 (in next October it will be risen to £6.08). There is also something called London Living Wage, it is a wage that one should be paid if (s)he want to have a normal life in London (there is a study published every year by an Office of Mayor of London http://www.london.gov.uk/publication/fairer-london-2011-living-wage-london). This year's LLW is £8.30. I don't know the SS salary but I am sure even they don't get as much.
Someone said here (s)he gets $3.000 of tips a year in US. That's great, I am really happy for you. Here in UK, there is really no tradition of giving tips. We have tips box but people just drop there pennies... literally pennies. So, we are happy if we get £5 a month per person. Usually it is about £10 per quarter. Someone else already said that (s)he gets only £30 a year. That's possible as my store is not the smallest one, so we get slightly more.
Speaking of bonus. First of all, I need to point out one thing that doesn't look like it is related but actually may be a reason why I have a bonus here in UK and you in US don't. What everyone has in UK what is not being usually given to employees in US? Health insurance. This is standard in UK and Starbucks does not pay anything extra to provide it (probably it pays extra in taxes comparing to US but it is not extra in comparison to any other UK based companies). Correct me if I am wrong but what I heard was that Starbucks offers a health insurance for its employees in United States and some other countries (Ireland?) as an extra provision which costs the company a lot and they are not required by law to do so. I am just guessing but maybe Starbucks has some kind of a fund to provide extra money for partners and how they distribute it depends on local conditions (BTW would you like to have a bonus system which does not guarantee you that you get your money or would you rather have private health insurance for you and every of your colleagues at work?)
"Bloody greedy bastard!!!!", "You don't have the same job and you don't get the same compensation.", "bigger risk= bigger reward". It was already said in the email which started this discussion that different position and bigger responsibility of ASMs and SMs are totally recognized. The problem is not the fact that those two groups of Starbucks employees get bigger salaries. The problem is inconsequence with salaries and bonuses systems. I totally do not mind the fact that my manager gets paid two times more than me. I just believe that it would be fair if the bonus system reflected contractual terms and conditions of salaries. Managers already get better compensation for their work with their bigger salaries. If they are not happy with it, they can complain the same way as I am complaining about mine one now. There is nothing written about the bonus in my contract and I am guessing there is nothing about the bonus in ASM/SMs contracts either. So when the company introduces new way to gratitude the employees it should be distributed "equally" (reflecting the salaries system) among all of us.
That's really great that there is bonus system for me. But when I see that my boss, who does NOT give me a proper example how to work and achieves better sales ONLY by pushing partners to work faster during rush hours can get ten times more money then me, that totally does not work for me.
And answering last response "you aren't supposed to be able to make ends meet when working an entry level job". That is true. However, can you explain me how uneducated, part-time, "I don't care, I just make coffee, relax" employees can deliver "legendary service" and create "a third place"? Company has to decide. It employs people who treat this job as a source of "SUPPLEMENTAL income" or it actually tries to follow companies values and mission.
BTW, lifeatsbux.com is only for US and CA partners.
Posted by: medevacs | June 14, 2011 at 06:51 PM
Put up with the nonsense that an SM puts up with on a daily basis, and then you will see why that compensation makes sense.
Posted by: Surroundedbyfools | June 16, 2011 at 04:40 AM
I am an ASM here in NY. My last quarterly bonus minus taxes (25% commission tax) was approx $256.00 for 3 months. My FT baristas get approx $40 per week in tips times 12weeks, thats almost $500.00 Now tell me who gets paid more. Baristas also don't get there butts ripped open by their nasty DMs and threatened to be fired
Posted by: MighyMousette | June 21, 2011 at 11:44 PM
OMG!! Be happy with the bonuses, you get yearly. Here we get a bonus every 4 years..smh. That's what my SM told me
Posted by: sbuxbarista | June 29, 2011 at 07:28 PM
JJ- Been a partner for 6 years, a ss for 5.5 of those, and we have only ever gotten two bonuses in that time, here in the U.S. Obviously, I'm working for Sbux in the wrong country :P
Posted by: Lexi | July 07, 2011 at 07:05 PM
If they don't want to work there, they should get another job. The economy is pretty good in Chile so there are other opportunities (mining, finance). By the way, the starting salary is 30% higher than a comparable job per the article. The article actually doesn't say how much they make, it only states their starting salary which buys a lot more down there than it does here (I've been to Chile). The average worker there probably makes more than £2.50 an hour due to raises and promotions.
In all seriousness though, Starbucks should give a wedding and child bonus and make us free from payday loans UK applying.
Posted by: Account Deleted | December 26, 2011 at 02:14 AM
Starbucks had a great deal over in the Uk recently - a free coffee for everyone who visited one of their shops on a certain day. It was brilliant - everyone in our office at Payday loans online came in with a free latte from down the road and now we all have one every day so the initative was a huge success for Starbucks!
Posted by: Russ Beech | March 26, 2012 at 04:35 AM