Any word on how today's "Paid Sick Days Hall of Shame" Starbucks protest went in Seattle?

People were supposed to gather at the Starbucks on 4th and Cherry to protest Starbucks' decision (from years ago?) to eliminate paid sick days for retail employees back in 2008. The group behind it says on Facebook: "This is going down street-theater style, with signs, chants, and messages for the customers. (Hope there's no virus in your venti!) And don't worry, we'll have face masks for everyone to wear so we don't catch anything while we're there. Seriously. ...We're looking for baristas to join us." ANY REPORTS? || Read "Paid Sick Days Hall of Shame: Howard Schultz"

Comments

[Berv]

ASMs and SMs don't get paid sick days anymore? I know I've worked for the company for over a decade as a SS and NEVER had paid sick time.

[Mark]

Back when I was working food service, I NEVER had any sick or vacation days. Even when I was store manager. You worked, you got paid. You didn't work, you did not get paid.

The lack of sick and vacaton days is normal in the food service industry. Ask you local diner waitress or the waiter at the $100 a plate retaurant. Nobody gets sick time.

[waltie]

I've never heard of hourly partners at Starbucks getting paid sick day, so this seems like a non-issue to me. And, frankly, this sounds like it would be more trouble than it's worth, since getting paid for a sick day would probably require going to a doctor and getting a note, which would probably end up costing more or as much as you'd get paid for missing work.

Here's my opinion: It sucks to be sick and it sucks to have to miss work, but if you don't clock in, you don't get paid. Seems fair to me.

[M]

We have paid sick days at our store; we have to work when sick.

[Coffee Solider]

Store managers get sick time at Starbucks....I have like 689 sick hours...not that I can ever use them....but they do exist.

[B]

Those sick hours are to fix labor :)

[erstwhile]

If you worked for Starbucks corporate, you had paid sick/personal days. I actually still have two that I haven't used, and they carried over.

The way my store is staffed, you're lucky to get a chance to use paid vacation. Forget sick days.

[Time To GO!]

"It sucks to be sick and it sucks to have to miss work, but if you don't clock in, you don't get paid. Seems fair to me."

How is this even remotely fair? It's Starbucks-fair. Which, if you think about it as a "normal" person, it sounds completely insane.

[Hipsterdufus]

I don't think retail employees every got sick pay outside of managers (except in areas where required by local law)

[waltie]

"How is this even remotely fair?"

Because most Starbucks partners are hourly employees, so if you aren't clocking in for hours, you don't get paid. It sucks to have to miss work and not get paid if you're sick, but that's one of the drawbacks of an hourly position.

[frapatte]

It's not fair really, and it's a major point as to how the hourly wage system in food service is a major drawback. You're telling the people who handle your food and beverages that if they are contagious with something, they have to either spread it to countless other people or not pay their bills. But, it's not just "Starbucks-fair", it's pretty much industry standard.

[Joe]

I know we hourly folks never had anything called a "sick day", but our now-gone personal days could have been used for that purpose. That's what they're referring to, I'm pretty sure.

[ho hum]

I remember that hourly partners did have sick days at least 8 years ago along with their personal day benefit. The report printed for signing of for your paycheck had all remaining and used benefit hours listed on it. When they ended the sick day benefit for hourly partners some still had them left to carry over.

The sad thing is that sick day pay was often abused by the one dishonest person that didn't feel like going to work because they would rather take the day off to "go fishin'" and call off sick with the fake hacking and coughing during the phone call.

[You'dLikeToKnow]

they should at least give partners back a personal day even just one a year. starbucks is more profitable then they've ever been in their history and the continue to give little back to their employees. a bonus last year won't fix what's wrong

[Andy]

This article adds I know better

[Aaron]

"It sucks to be sick and it sucks to have to miss work, but if you don't clock in, you don't get paid. Seems fair to me."

It also sucks to get sick because your barista can't afford to stay home sick.

[Noelle]

I agree with Aaron. Or, it sucks to get sick because your barista couldn't stay home due to a lack of anyone willing to cover their shift. Nobody wants to lose their job over a bad cough or bout of stomach flu. Seriously.

[Art]

ASM and SM get sick time in SoCal.

We can use the sick time to go to doctor, dentist, and even take our child/wife/life partner to the doctor also. I used most of my sick time taking my wife to the doctor so I could be at every prenatal visit for my baby. I am fortunate to work for a company that allowed me to be at every appointment!

[ASMtoShiftLikeThat]

I do miss our personal days we used to get twice a year. It was nice having a day you could take in addition to your vacation time.. not that most stores are staffed properly to allow partners to do anything with vacation hours but "cushion" their paychecks.

[inkedmuse]

baristas and SSs alike received personal days until 2009 here.