Starting October 2nd Starbucks announced that they will be ending sick pay for workers that contract Covid19; this includes time off for isolation and anyone experiencing ill side-effects from the vaccine.
Apparently Starbucks has made the almighty, all-knowing decision that we’re out of the woods and the pandemic is no longer a threat.
During the early days of the Pandemic – Starbucks expanded it’s “catastrophe pay” to give workers fourteen paid days off while self-isolating. Likewise, once the vaccines were made available in 2021 workers could receive paid time off for “vaccine pay”.
Starting October 3rd, workers will now have to use their accrued sick or vacation days if they run into a bout with Covid or suffer from ill-effects from the vaccine.
According to a statement retained by: tastingtable.com – An investor call from September notes that Starbuck’s would possibly implement “a much more advanced or progressive, or generous sick time accrual model.”
Twitter users are balking at the decision saying that we’re heading into flu season and with the coming threat of a new variant, its irresponsible for the conglomerate to remove the safe-guards that are in place to contain a possible outbreak.
A decision like this stands to perpetuate the spread of Covid prompting outbreaks and especially alienating workers who feel like they have no options and might be forced to come into work, sick.
@ajplus took to twitter to express his disdain for Starbucks decision, noting the engorged amount of money ($20.4 million) that the CEO makes per year in comparison to the average barista salary.
His post set off a debate among users with many slogging the company for making such a poor decision at a critical time.
The tweet has gone viral and many are decrying Starbucks, vowing to leave their coffee behind because the ending of “catastrophe pay” means that workers will be coming in sick.
@Treasa5555:
Even if they think covid is not a pandemic, if you have it then likely you are sick. Do they really want staff coughing and sweating over food? Is that not against basic hygiene never mind human decency of allowing an ill person to be home in bed?
Most users agreed with the sentiments that were being pointed out like @cozyvoyager wrote:
It does point out that the CEO has the resources to care for themselves (to isolate, to get treatment, etc) and the employees don’t, so they are making this craven choice from an ivory tower. It points to the cause of this choice. Always follow the money
And, @PersonalGenius:
So, what I’m hearing is that it’s not safe to go to Starbucks as a customer. Because the employees have to come to work sick with COVID.
It’s good to know that Starbucks has taken the pulse on the pandemic and declared it safe to disarm and drop safety standards.
When the Director-General of WHO said on September 14th: “We are not there yet. But the end is in sight.”… It would be only a few days later that Starbucks would latch onto this perspective and end covid sick pay.
Who knew a coffee operation had what it takes to see the future, especially when that future involves viruses.
