It’s 9 a.m. and you’re in a rush to grab your grande vanilla latte from Starbucks before class. Normally, you know exactly how long it takes to wait in line because it’s a part of your morning routine. But lately, things haven’t been quite the same. If you’ve been waiting longer in line than normal, there’s a reason behind this catastrophe. The coffee chain has been cutting back on employee work hours.
Ironically, Starbucks recently reported record sales and profit last week, as well as changed its employee dress code. CEO Howard Schulz also shared an open letter with his partners and store managers concerning his desire to make Starbucks a better workplace.
Multiple Starbucks employees from around the country said that the “number of work hours assigned to stores by the chain’s Global Labor Scheduling (GLS) system has fallen far below both what they need and what they normally receive.” It was also noted that these labor cuts came without warning or explanation.
In June, staffer Jaime Prater, who has worked nine years for the chain, generated an online petition entitled “Starbucks, Lack of Labor Is Killing Morale.” It currently holds over 15,000 signatures. This appeal is campaigning against what it calls “some of the most extreme labor cuts in Starbucks history.”
However, Starbucks rejects the rumors that there has been any labor strategy adjustments and each store manages its own hours based on need. Starbucks spokesperson Jaime Riley announced, “We are not trying to reduce labor. We want our stores staffed in accordance with what they each need.”
Whatever. I’ll just be late..
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