Starbucks to Pay U.S. Workers to Get Degree From ASU

[eipstudios]

Starbucks Corp. (SBUX), which has offered company stock to store employees for more than two decades, will now begin picking up most of the tab for workers to get a degree through Arizona State University online.

Starbucks employees who work at least 20 hours a week and enroll in the university?s online bachelor?s degree will get $6,500 -- about half of their tuition -- for the first two years, the company said in a statement. They will then get full tuition for the final two.

?We?ve always known that our partners work hard every day,? Cliff Burrows, president of Starbucks? Americas region, said in a phone interview. ?This is the best way we can serve them.?

Starbucks, the world?s largest coffee-shop chain, has offered cafe workers restricted stock, known as Bean Stock, since 1991, and has a 401(k) matching program. Store employees get a free pound of coffee weekly, plus free beverages on work breaks and a 30 percent discount on Starbucks food, drinks and merchandise. The company previously offered as much as $1,000 a year in tuition reimbursement for employees who had worked at Starbucks at least one year.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...s-workers.html

[Theo]

This is great action

[seeandsee]

They are much better comparing to Mac Donalds

[Markul]

Well done Starbucks

[Sid70]

Starbucks faced criticism for drawbacks in the fine print ? notably that students could have to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket, and wait months or years before being reimbursed.

THIS

[Robbie]

I don't know if I'd ever pay that much for a cup of coffee.

But yeah, if they can overprice a cup of coffee and get people to pay for it...then it's a good thing they are doing with some of the extra insane profit.
Enough fat on that bone to shave off some scrapings and never even feel it.

[Relentless]

A starbucks employee in Seattle (where they are based) is on track to get at least $15 per hour based on their new minimum wage laws AND $6500 toward college credits online. Not a bad payout for making coffee and listening to fat posers whine that you are out of skim milk.

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by Sid70

Starbucks faced criticism for drawbacks in the fine print ? notably that students could have to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket, and wait months or years before being reimbursed.

THIS

no good deed goes unpunished. 21 credits till reimbursement seems fair, especially considering it's available to part-timers, and doesn't limit the field of study

[NALEM]

Originally Posted by eipstudios

Starbucks Corp. (SBUX), which has offered company stock to store employees for more than two decades, will now begin picking up most of the tab for workers to get a degree through Arizona State University online.

Starbucks employees who work at least 20 hours a week and enroll in the university?s online bachelor?s degree will get $6,500 -- about half of their tuition -- for the first two years, the company said in a statement. They will then get full tuition for the final two.

?We?ve always known that our partners work hard every day,? Cliff Burrows, president of Starbucks? Americas region, said in a phone interview. ?This is the best way we can serve them.?

Starbucks, the world?s largest coffee-shop chain, has offered cafe workers restricted stock, known as Bean Stock, since 1991, and has a 401(k) matching program. Store employees get a free pound of coffee weekly, plus free beverages on work breaks and a 30 percent discount on Starbucks food, drinks and merchandise. The company previously offered as much as $1,000 a year in tuition reimbursement for employees who had worked at Starbucks at least one year.

Getting my kid to quit McDonalds and switch over to Starbucks!

All kidding aside, a very smart move for Starbucks and ASU Online.

Starbucks reinvests their healthy profits into opening new locations in an attempt to corner the retail coffee market. They keep employee turnover low, which keeps hiring and training costs to a minimum, and they are educating their existing employees with an eye on keeping them on as management and leaders for their growing empire.

ASU - highlights their entry into the online/remote education business. Everyone remembers Phoenix University? Now ASU is going to step on their market share. Would not be surprised if ASU provides a reduced tuition discount to Starbucks as a company, so there is little to no out of pocket expense for Starbucks.

[Rochard]

So now we pay $15 AND a college degree to what should be a minimum wage job?

That is so fucked up. How about they flip burgers for the bare minimum with no perks like I did? And when it wasn't enough money... You worked three or four of these jobs full time to makes ends meet.

We are raising a country full of pussys who will all drive BMWs and not know what it's like to struggle.

[atom]

Originally Posted by Rochard

So now we pay $15 AND a college degree to what should be a minimum wage job?

That is so fucked up. How about they flip burgers for the bare minimum with no perks like I did? And when it wasn't enough money... You worked three or four of these jobs full time to makes ends meet.

We are raising a country full of pussys who will all drive BMWs and not know what it's like to struggle.

Jesus Christ you are dense. You are bitching about a company giving back to its employees by helping them better themselves via partial reimbursement for education.

Just because you worked 3 jobs doesn't mean everyone else has to. I worked and went to school both full time and wish there would have been an easier way but there wasn't. Nothing wrong with taking the path of least resistance.

[Jel]

Originally Posted by atom

Jesus Christ you are dense. You are bitching about a company giving back to its employees by helping them better themselves via partial reimbursement for education.

Just because you worked 3 jobs doesn't mean everyone else has to. I worked and went to school both full time and wish there would have been an easier way but there wasn't. Nothing wrong with taking the path of least resistance.

this

[tony286]

Originally Posted by Rochard

So now we pay $15 AND a college degree to what should be a minimum wage job?

That is so fucked up. How about they flip burgers for the bare minimum with no perks like I did? And when it wasn't enough money... You worked three or four of these jobs full time to makes ends meet.

We are raising a country full of pussys who will all drive BMWs and not know what it's like to struggle.

When was the last time you saw a kid working at starbucks? I would say the avg age at starbucks is probably 28 to 30.

[Relentless]

Rochard, even from you, that post is especially nonsensical.

$15.00 per hour and up to 6K in tuition reimbursement in 2014 doesn't put anyone on easy street or buy them a BMW.

15x40= $600 per week GROSS.
$31,200 per year to work full time while putting in 18 hours a week for each class.
Good luck living on that in 2014 as a 25-30 year old person trying to get ahead by working your ass off.

Punishing people for being lazy is one thing. Punishing them for working 40 hours a week while going to school full time at night is probably the worst thing society could ever do. We should be raising minimum wage, providing even more benefits and making work even more profitable. That's what makes people get off their couch and actually go to work when it is available.

[Relentless]

Incidentally Starbucks CEO made 28.9 million dollars in 2013
Roughly what 1,000 full time employees earn.
I'm not saying he is overpaid, he appears to be doing a great job and deserves every dime he can get.

However, the idea that Starbucks employees earning less than 1/1000th of his salary are overpaid is simply absurd.

[CurrentlySober]

i cunt a4d a cup of coffee...

[ilnjscb]

My brothers this is the new trend - if only there could be affiliates for online education and certificates

there are now online MBAs from respected institutions....

[Rochard]

I read an article last night about this that said this is less of Starbucks kicking back money to a college education, and more of the college giving Starbucks employees a huge discount. On top of this, there are a lot of conditions on this - for example, you have to have a huge amount of credits completed before any money kicks in.

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by ilnjscb

My brothers this is the new trend - if only there could be affiliates for online education and certificates

there are now online MBAs from respected institutions....

hmmm

8char

[arock10]

Originally Posted by Rochard

So now we pay $15 AND a college degree to what should be a minimum wage job?

That is so fucked up. How about they flip burgers for the bare minimum with no perks like I did? And when it wasn't enough money... You worked three or four of these jobs full time to makes ends meet.

We are raising a country full of pussys who will all drive BMWs and not know what it's like to struggle.

They still have to work AND go to college and pay for half of the college the 1st 2 years. $15 an hr aint that much in seattle

I imagine unlimited espresso goes well with studying

[Robbie]

Originally Posted by Relentless

However, the idea that Starbucks employees earning less than 1/1000th of his salary are overpaid is simply absurd.

Keep in mind the "job" they are doing.

Some of y'all seem to be missing that point. A job should be compensated for what the skill level is. Pouring coffee is NOT worth $15 an hour. Never has been, never will be.

[Relentless]

Originally Posted by Robbie

Keep in mind the "job" they are doing.
Some of y'all seem to be missing that point. A job should be compensated for what the skill level is. Pouring coffee is NOT worth $15 an hour. Never has been, never will be.

In an era where 15 dollars buys less than 5 gallons of gas or two tickets to a movie, an hour of pouring coffee and customer service work is worth how much?

[Robbie]

Originally Posted by Relentless

In an era where 15 dollars buys less than 5 gallons of gas or two tickets to a movie, an hour of pouring coffee and customer service work is worth how much?

That's like saying "two wrongs make a right".

Fact is...$15 an hour is stupid for a coffee pouring job, hamburger flipping, checkout person, etc.

When you are paying that out for bottom of the rung jobs, the logical thing that happens next is that ALL the jobs "above" those in skill level will go up in salary as well.

"Yes Robbie, but isn't that a GOOD thing! Everybody has "more" money!"

Yeah, more WORTHLESS money, because then the cost of living rises and the "more" money is negated.

Which brings me to our industry. We CAN'T raise our prices because piracy is giving it to them for free.

So the adult industry continue to make the same money...while the cost of living rises. Pure genius.

The simple facts are: pouring coffee is not WORTH $15 an hour. End of discussion.
Anything else you are saying is moot after that fact.

Once we run off into crazy-land and start paying people what we "feel" they should have no matter what their skill level...it's game over.

[L-Pink]

Let them do what they want its their business. That said once implemented there is zero turning back from the competition having a major advantage.

[tony286]

Originally Posted by Relentless

In an era where 15 dollars buys less than 5 gallons of gas or two tickets to a movie, an hour of pouring coffee and customer service work is worth how much?

Thank you, they think its 1990. lol

[Relentless]

So your point Robbie is that someone working at Starbucks should not be able to afford a full tank of gas after a day of work or a movie after an hour of work.

Noted.

[Jel]

Originally Posted by Robbie

That's like saying "two wrongs make a right".

Fact is...$15 an hour is stupid for a coffee pouring job, hamburger flipping, checkout person, etc.

When you are paying that out for bottom of the rung jobs, the logical thing that happens next is that ALL the jobs "above" those in skill level will go up in salary as well.

"Yes Robbie, but isn't that a GOOD thing! Everybody has "more" money!"

Yeah, more WORTHLESS money, because then the cost of living rises and the "more" money is negated.

Which brings me to our industry. We CAN'T raise our prices because piracy is giving it to them for free.

So the adult industry continue to make the same money...while the cost of living rises. Pure genius.

The simple facts are: pouring coffee is not WORTH $15 an hour. End of discussion.
Anything else you are saying is moot after that fact.

Once we run off into crazy-land and start paying people what we "feel" they should have no matter what their skill level...it's game over.

I agree with pretty much most of what you post normally, but....

Thing is though, obviously starbucks feel it *is* worth that much. No sports athlete is WORTH $500k a week, according to some, but if that athlete brings in revenue that exceeds that, then obviously they are.

If starbucks feel that they will attract a better class of employee by offering a $15 p/h wage, and the variables like not being a surly cunt teenager etc in turn mean that customers continue to be willing to pay over the odds for a coffee (myself included), and so continue to increase revenue for them, how is that bad business sense?

Seems that starbucks can financially viably afford it's coffee pourers $15 an hour, whereas sloppy joe's cafe couldn't. Same as always, market forces dictate. And why shouldn't they, in this instance

[JA$ON]

Originally Posted by Relentless

In an era where 15 dollars buys less than 5 gallons of gas or two tickets to a movie, an hour of pouring coffee and customer service work is worth how much?

2 tickets?

Movie tickets here are $12 - $15 for prime time. I remember $2.50 Matinee back in the mid to late 80's when I was about 10. Can you imagine if someone had told me then that tickets when my kids were the same age! I would have thought they were NUTS!

[Jel]

^ my bad, thought that was out of choice, I've just re-read and see that's minimum wage law.

[arock10]

Originally Posted by Robbie

That's like saying "two wrongs make a right".

Fact is...$15 an hour is stupid for a coffee pouring job, hamburger flipping, checkout person, etc.

When you are paying that out for bottom of the rung jobs, the logical thing that happens next is that ALL the jobs "above" those in skill level will go up in salary as well.

"Yes Robbie, but isn't that a GOOD thing! Everybody has "more" money!"

Yeah, more WORTHLESS money, because then the cost of living rises and the "more" money is negated.

Which brings me to our industry. We CAN'T raise our prices because piracy is giving it to them for free.

So the adult industry continue to make the same money...while the cost of living rises. Pure genius.

The simple facts are: pouring coffee is not WORTH $15 an hour. End of discussion.
Anything else you are saying is moot after that fact.

Once we run off into crazy-land and start paying people what we "feel" they should have no matter what their skill level...it's game over.

Minimum wage in 1970 had over $10 in purchasing power in today's dollars. $15 an hr min wage in one of the most expensive cities seems pretty reasonable considering that



The money people "busted their ass" for back in the day when you were growing up came easier and was worth more then what people work for today

[Robbie]

Originally Posted by Relentless

So your point Robbie is that someone working at Starbucks should not be able to afford a full tank of gas after a day of work or a movie after an hour of work.

Noted.

Note whatever you like. You're opinion isn't worth any more than mine.

And I don't give a damn if they poured coffee or twiddled their thumbs all day...it's about worth the same as far as skill level is concerned.

If you don't want to make the salary of an unskilled laborer, then you need to change your life. If you can't...then that is what you will be.

This isn't hard to understand in the real world.

[Due]

Originally Posted by Rochard

So now we pay $15 AND a college degree to what should be a minimum wage job?

That is so fucked up. How about they flip burgers for the bare minimum with no perks like I did? And when it wasn't enough money... You worked three or four of these jobs full time to makes ends meet.

We are raising a country full of pussys who will all drive BMWs and not know what it's like to struggle.

Unless you own Starbucks you are not paying shit so where the fuck did that "we" come from. Pull that communist head out your ass and you might realize that its not up to the general population to decide if Starbucks wish yo overpay their employees or not.

[Robbie]

Originally Posted by Jel

I agree with pretty much most of what you post normally, but....

Thing is though, obviously starbucks feel it *is* worth that much. No sports athlete is WORTH $500k a week, according to some, but if that athlete brings in revenue that exceeds that, then obviously they are.

If starbucks feel that they will attract a better class of employee by offering a $15 p/h wage, and the variables like not being a surly cunt teenager etc in turn mean that customers continue to be willing to pay over the odds for a coffee (myself included), and so continue to increase revenue for them, how is that bad business sense?

Seems that starbucks can financially viably afford it's coffee pourers $15 an hour, whereas sloppy joe's cafe couldn't. Same as always, market forces dictate. And why shouldn't they, in this instance

I think Starbucks has found a way to market themselves to "guilt-ridden" liberals.

My guess is that their professional polling and statistics show that when they do something like overpay their employees...it gets even more yuppies to come in and buy overpriced coffee.

It's pure marketing strategy and very smart.

Still doesn't mean that the actual job is of $15 an hour value to the rest of the world.
It works for StarBucks and other companies who base themselves a lot on their "cool" factor.

They know their clientele have the money to pay more for coffee than the average "joe" in the U.S.

As I said...I would NEVER pay a guy $15 an hour to pour coffee...UNLESS it was a gimmick to get me more market share of my targeted audience (which is what they are doing).

It works out good for Starbucks and their overpaid employees.
It wouldn't work so well for places like McDonalds who serve low-priced fast food.

One size does not fit all in this case.

[dyna mo]

not unlike NFL teams paying out some of their massive profits to the players. Those players are not worth $50 million a year but they get it because of how much revenue the team is getting.

This is that for Starbucks. The cup costs more than the $5 coffee. I am glad to see the "profit sharing". I'm also glad to see the partnership b/w starbucks and asu, good for them to negotiate better tuition prices to make this happen.

This country needs more shit like this. !

[L-Pink]

Originally Posted by Robbie

I think Starbucks has found a way to market themselves to "guilt-ridden" liberals.

.

Lol lol

.

[Robbie]

Originally Posted by L-Pink

Lol lol

.

You know it's true! lol

And it's smart too. That's their customer base. How better to make them "feel good" about themselves when they overpay for their coffee?

It's good business for StarBucks.

[dyna mo]

I was actually surprised about this story, the last I heard about sb was they were closing shops and losing money. Not sure how far back that was, I guess they turned it around.

[kane]

Originally Posted by Robbie

You know it's true! lol

And it's smart too. That's their customer base. How better to make them "feel good" about themselves when they overpay for their coffee?

It's good business for StarBucks.

I would imagine they get quite a few conservative customers as well. I know a lot of conservatives and I would say about 75% of them "can't live without their Starbucks."

[dyna mo]

How did this turn to politics? lolz.

[Relentless]

There is a lot of truth to marketing value with this move. I avoid companies that mistreat their employees. Part of it is also self-preservation. Guys earning 15 an hour are less likely to spit in your coffee, and guys with healthcare are less like to pass typhoid via your breakfast muffin order.

You can get much cheaper coffee at a bodega, at your own risk ;)

[dyna mo]

When I get my coffee on the outside I walk past the starbucks and get it from a local shop. I want the serious gourmet shit when I drink coffee. It's $2 for a large there.

[Rochard]

Originally Posted by atom

Jesus Christ you are dense. You are bitching about a company giving back to its employees by helping them better themselves via partial reimbursement for education.

Just because you worked 3 jobs doesn't mean everyone else has to. I worked and went to school both full time and wish there would have been an easier way but there wasn't. Nothing wrong with taking the path of least resistance.

I honestly believe that society is becoming lazy and is unable / unwilling to earn anything. Fuck me, with minimum wage at $15/hour any high school drop out can lease a shiny new BMW. You see this in society all the time - they have a bigger TV than I have yet want public assistance to keep the heat on.

[Relentless]

Originally Posted by dyna mo

When I get my coffee on the outside I walk past the starbucks and get it from a local shop. I want the serious gourmet shit when I drink coffee. It's $2 for a large there.

I'd do the same if there were a clean local shop. If I knew one was better to their employees than the other, I'd vote with my dollars by supporting the better one.
Every penny you spend is a vote to support one business over another.

[Relentless]

Originally Posted by Rochard

I honestly believe that society is becoming lazy and is unable / unwilling to earn anything. Fuck me, with minimum wage at $15/hour any high school drop out can lease a shiny new BMW. You see this in society all the time - they have a bigger TV than I have yet want public assistance to keep the heat on.

Please show me someone leasing a new BMW on a 15 dollar per hour salary.

[tony286]

Originally Posted by Rochard

I honestly believe that society is becoming lazy and is unable / unwilling to earn anything. Fuck me, with minimum wage at $15/hour any high school drop out can lease a shiny new BMW. You see this in society all the time - they have a bigger TV than I have yet want public assistance to keep the heat on.

Actually worker productivity is at record highs and they are getting less for it.

[Robbie]

Originally Posted by tony286

Actually worker productivity is at record highs and they are getting less for it.

"worker productivity"...

We're talking about low wage jobs.

In low wage jobs there are 2 kinds of people:
1. People who are busting their ass to get a promotion (they don't stay long in a low wage job, they move up)

2. The vast majority of people in low wage jobs...they do as little as possible to get through the day. They fuck around on the clock and can't wait for the end of the day to punch out and go home.

That majority of slackers are not suddenly working hard and valiantly for their slave labor masters...they are still goofing off at work. Surfing the web on their smart phones while waiting for the bell to ring on the latest batch of french fries. lol

Tony, most people are not noble creatures who somehow found themselves in a bad spot.
Most of the people who are stuck in minimum wage jobs don't have the drive or ambition to do any better.

If I had to go to work at McDonald's tomorrow, I guarantee you that I would be making good money there within a month or two.

I'm the guy who would go in there and work overtime for no pay and outwork every person there just to get ahead.

I wouldn't NEED any overinflated b.s. minimum wage raises. I'd make my own way. Just like millions of other people with drive and work ethic do.

[brassmonkey]

great school very hot girls! parties are the best!

[bronco67]

There are many ways you can run a business. Two of them are:

a. You can underpay your workers and treat them like the slave labor you think they are. Profits roll in.

b. You can treat your workers like family members, and they will help make your company better. Profits roll in.

Depends on what kind of culture you want to create. If you have no problems with B, then you should take a look at yourself and wonder how you got this way.

[Robbie]

bronco67, do you think that taking my order at McDonald's should be a higher paying job?

I see what you're saying. And the "family members" logic works great at Google or Apple with skilled workers who are looking at this as a career.

I don't think that approach would work for the hamburger flipper at McDonald's who just wants to get through the day so he can head back and play XBox all night long.

Or the construction workers who already make great money...and still steal everything on the site that isn't tied down.

In the real world, people aren't the beautiful and noble creatures. 99% of them will rob your business blind.

[Relentless]

Robbie,

You think hamburger flippers, coffee baristas and construction workers are all unskilled labor? Good luck with that. Electricians working in skyscrapers are very skilled and highly trained workers doing an exceptionally dangerous job. I can tell you from experience, the more you pay them, the more you earn. I've hired hundreds of people in my lifetime, across three entirely different industries. In every case I have raised the compensation of my employees well above 'industry standard' and benefited from doing so. In general when I hire anyone I explain to them, within 90 days you will either be getting a raise or you will be fired.

An electrician making 5 dollars over scale can save you a fucking fortune. A likable person who remembers customers names and makes them feel welcome at a Starbucks is gold. They also happen to be the ones who let you know who is stealing, how you can create more efficiency, what your customers are saying, etc... Starbucks has 135,000 sensors working for them and capable of providing quality feedback. They are not in the coffee business. They are in the 'hi, it's great to see you Robbie, how is your mom doing? I hope it all worked out for her... Oh, btw I know you like whole grain, did you see we just got in these fresh whole grain muffins, they are delicious... Want a sample?' business. That relies on their 'unskilled labor' more than anything else.