We spend a lot of time and energy holding politicians & corporations accountable on workers rights. But we also love to swipe right on good news. So we were pleased to hear recently that Starbucks is going to start providing paid parental leave to employees.
But then we took a closer look and it sort of killed the romance when we discovered that the Starbucks parental leave plan specifically singles out baristas and other store employees to give them less parental leave than corporate employees get.
The company's new paid parental leave policy provides 18 weeks paid time off for birth moms who are corporate employees... but only 6 weeks paid for birth moms who are baristas. Other new parents would get 12 weeks paid time off if they work in corporate... but no paid time at all if they work in a store.
Sorry Starbucks, but that’s not ok.
Do baristas need less time at home with a new child? Are their kids worth less than the children of corporate executives?
We're not sure how Starbucks can possibly explain this policy — so we figured we should ask. Click to send a letter to the Starbucks public relations department asking them to explain why baristas deserve less parental leave than corporate employees get.
The thought counts for a lot. So does the policy.
Starbucks paid parental leave policy
Corporate employees
(i.e. public relations, executives)
Store employees
(i.e. baristas, shift supervisors)
Birth mother
18 weeks paid
6 weeks paid
Other new parent
12 weeks paid
0 weeks paid