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Single mom's scheduling woes prompt Starbucks to reassess policies, procedures

A story in the New York Times about one barista's scheduling woes has prompted Starbucks to reassess its scheduling practices and policies.

August 15, 2014

A story in the New York Times about one barista's scheduling woes has prompted Starbucks to reassess its scheduling practices and policies.

An Aug. 13 piece by Jodi Kantor chronicled the challenges faced by Jannette Navarro, a 22-year-old single mother trying to cobble together child care, education, transportation and housing while juggling a wildly fluctuating work schedule.

The article points to Starbucks' employee scheduling software and pressure on managers to keep staffing costs low as the source of much of the chaos in Navarro's schedule.

"I was troubled to read a New York Times story this morning regarding scheduling challenges one partner, Jannette, faced as she strives to balance work while also pursuing a college degree and raising her son," said Cliff Burrows, Starbucks' group president for the U.S., the Americas and Teavana, in an Aug. 14 email to Starbucks' partners.

In the email, Barrow outlined several changes to Starbucks' scheduling practices and policies:

• Starbucks will make updates to scheduling software aimed at giving store managers greater control over keeping schedules stable and consistent;
• An end to "clopening," the practice of scheduling employees to work opening and closing shifts back to back;
• A requirement that all schedules be posted at least one week in advance;
• A commitment to transferring employees commuting an hour or more to work to stores closer to their homes.

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