My E-Mails with Brenda at Starbuck's

1.)--- Original Message ---
From: Herb Morehead
Received: 8/30/13 3:56:46 AM MDT
To: <info@starbucks.cust-serv.com>
Subject: Corporate social responsibility

"Social responsibility? Really:Starbucks Fires Employee on
Food Stamps for Eating a Sandwich from the GarbageLast
Monday, 21-year-old barista Coulson Loptmann says he was
fired from a downtown Seattle Starbucks where he?d worked
for more than a year. The reason? He ate a sandwich that had
been thrown away. Really. Like most cafes, the coffee giant
gets rid of food that has expired; they donate what they can
and toss the more perishable items.Loptmann, who says he
couldn?t get enough hours to pay his bills and survives
partly on his food stamps, explains, ?I hadn?t eaten all day
and I was on a seven-hour shift.? A coworker had just marked
some breakfast sandwiches out of stock, and he figured no
one would mind if he grabbed one of the plastic-wrapped
sausage sandwiches out of the trash can.But Starbucks did
mind. According to Loptmann, his manager sat him down a week
later and told him she?d found out about the sandwich and
contacted HR, ?and they consider it stealing, and it?s
against policy. So I?m sorry, but I have to terminate you.?
She fired him on the spot.The incident comes up just as
fast-food workers prepare for another strike this
Thursday?and this time, they're asking baristas to join
them. Seattle's fast-food walkouts this spring were
extraordinarily successful, shutting down multiple
restaurants, and this week, organizers for Good Jobs Seattle
are encouraging low-wage workers in coffee shops to join the
national push for a $15 an hour minimum wage.The rest at:
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/08/27/starbucks-fires-employee-on-food-stamps-for-eating-a-sandwich-from-the-garbage"

Whats wrong with Starbucks and the food/service industry in
this country? For shame. I've been very busy e-mailing
and posting this every single place I can.

Herb Morehead


2,)


Dear Herb,



Thank
you for contacting Starbucks.

Thank you for sharing your
concerns and thoughts with us. However, I can tell you that
our managers want our partners to succeed, and regularly
coach them if they are having performance challenges. When
making tough decisions, like letting someone go, our
managers evaluate a partner’s performance holistically not
on the basis of a single, minor infraction.In general, a
partner would not be let go for a single violation of our
mark-out policy. However, a partner could be let go if they
violated this policy after having ongoing performance
challenges.


Thanks
again for writing us. If you ever have any
questions or concerns in the future, please don't
hesitate to get in touch.


We would love to hear your feedback. Click here to take a short survey.

Sincerely,

Celeste E
customer service


3.)


Dear Celeste

I find your reply unsatisfactory. This may have been a last straw, but what a bad reason to fire someone. I submit that allowing your innuendo packed statement as true still leaves us with a minimum waged adult on food-stamps for eating out of a garbage can,

Shame on Starbucks.

Herb Morehead


4.)

Herb,



Thank you for your email, I hope you are doing well today.



We do not discuss former partner's employment history. However, I can tell you that our managers want our partners to succeed and regularly coach them if they are having performance challenges.



When making tough decisions, like letting someone go, our managers evaluate a partner’s performance holistically not on the basis of a single, minor infraction. In general, a partner would not be let go for a single violation of our mark-out policy. However, a partner could be let go if they violated this policy after having ongoing performance challenges.



Thanks again for writing us. If you ever have any questions or concerns in the future, please don't hesitate to get in touch.



Sincerely,



Brady M

customer service

5.)

Brady

Starbucks seems to want to have it both ways: "We fired her for due reasons and we we can't disclose the reasons over privacy."

Her privacy IS paramount here and you've discussed her as a problem employee who's been counseled to no avail - to the point of being fired for eating garbage. So your claim of respecting an employee's right to privacy is a little surprising after you let the horse out of the barn.

My point - respecting the privacy of an employee that Starbucks thought so much about, is that eating garbage is no justifiable straw to break the camel's back.

I'm still po'd over Starbuck's policy of splitting tips with shift leaders. I am curious about how many of your full time fellow co-workers make a wage that qualifys them for food stamps or rent help. Have any stats on that you'd care to share?

Herb