In a letter to partners (employees) today, Starbucks Canada general manager, Lori Digulla reaffirms commitment to Partner Care and confirms continued investment in hourly partner wages including annual increases of 3% and stock grants in 2021.

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Every success, every ounce of progress, every positive moment we’ve experienced navigating this pandemic is thanks to our commitment to our Mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit. We’re getting through the challenge of a lifetime because we are working together, in service of each other, our customers and our communities. It hasn’t been easy and it hasn’t been perfect, but it has been remarkable with so much to be proud of. &nbsp;Thank you! And you have my commitment to keep supporting you every step of the way.

The truth is we’re still very much rebuilding our business with continued changes ahead to adapt to and overcome. But one thing that will always be true is we will be 100% committed to our Mission, and partner care and safety will always be at the heart of all our decisions. This pandemic has brought some of the biggest challenges any of us have faced, personally and professionally, but there is so much support available to you now, with more coming, that I want to be sure you know about.

We have always offered leading benefits and support for partners, and we looked for more and new ways to support you from the very start of the pandemic including comprehensive safety protocols and modified operations; multiple pay supports from March through October like Catastrophe Pay, Service Pay, COVID-19 Partner Care pay, COVID-19 leave options; and millions of dollars issued in CUP Fund grants. Importantly, months of closing and reopening stores limited hours worked so we also decreased eligibility hours to ensure benefits-enrolled partners would continue to qualify for benefits.

We sometimes hear that partners are not fully aware of everything available to them so we are re-publishing links and have created a quick reference infographic to capture all the benefits and supports that are available to you – financial, mental, physical, emotional and so much more. Please make some time to explore everything we have to support you and your families. We continue to assess, add and adjust our full package of support to ensure the most valuable and relevant resources are available to you, including some that you have told us are game-changers for you like our mental health benefits, tuition reimbursement, LifeWorks and enhanced resources committed to internal talent advancement and opportunity coming later this year.

In addition to leading benefits we offer competitive pay. We’ve increased scheduled hours and we continue to work hard to build our business back up, to provide more hours that can further increase your earnings. Despite the fact that we are still rebuilding our business, &nbsp;I’m happy to share that we’ve made the important decisions to proceed with a 3% annual wage increase for all hourly partners in 2021 which exceeds inflation and what we know most Canadian companies are planning; and we will maintain our pay differential for shift supervisors as we continue to invest in these partners and attract and reward our best baristas to this important role. &nbsp;More information will be available next month as we prepare for these increases to take effect in January (increase dates remain the same, happening every 6 months, and tied to your anniversary date).

I’m proud to share Starbucks U.S. is also invested in supporting partners by increasing wages for hourly partners. In Canada, we’ve made investments to increase minimum wage by up to 35% over the last five years. At Starbucks, we have a multi-year aspiration to make meaningful investments in pay. It will require all of us, working together, to rebuild and grow our business, so that we all can continue to share in our success.

In addition to the wage increase, we are maintaining our <a href="https://departments.starbucks.com/sites/stock/en-us/beanstock/Pages/beanstock.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bean Stock</a> grants, which are a significant investment in your future financial stabililty. Bean Stock grants are what make us “partners”, and later this month we will announce this year’s grant to our eligible baristas and shift supervisors. In FY19 baristas received grants of $600 USD and shift supervisors received grants of $875 USD. When you receive your Bean Stock grant, you are automatically set-up with a Fidelity account and will need to go to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.netbenefits.com/" target="_blank">Fidelity NetBenefits</a> to: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://workplaceservices.fidelity.com/bin-public/070_NB_SPS_Pages/documents/dcl/shared/StockPlanServices/SPS_INTL_ActivateInstructions.pdf" target="_blank">Open your account</a>&nbsp; and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://workplaceservices.fidelity.com/bin-public/070_NB_SPS_Pages/documents/dcl/shared/StockPlanServices/SPS_OGA_INTL_ACCEPT_GRANT.pdf" target="_blank">View and accept your grant</a>.

Compensation is important, but it’s critical that you are, and feel, safe at work. Everything we learned and reimagined since we entered this pandemic has prepared us to navigate what may come. We’re confident and ready to face the challenges ahead together, because we have the operations models, protocols and tools to run our stores safely for partners and customers. We will stay vigilant and flexible&nbsp;to adjust store operations as we need to, store by store and community by community while we maintain all the best-in-class&nbsp;control measures we have in place.

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Partners, I am so very proud of our team and how we live our Mission every day, with a smile, bringing hope to each other and millions of customers every week. This is how we will get through our toughest challenges, and I have every confidence we will continue to lead through this to emerge even stronger, and even more committed to each other, our customers and communities, together.

Behind the Green Apron: Our Sustained Commitment to Partner Care

Starbucks Canada

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https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2020/behind-the-green-apron-our-sustained-commitment-to-partner-care/

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Company commits to 10 times increase in mental health benefits to $5,000 per year

Toronto, ON – Starbucks Canada announced today that starting October 1, 2016 it will be increasing its mental health benefits to $5,000 per year for all eligible employees, who work a minimum of 20 hours per week, and their dependents. This represents among the highest mental health benefits offered at any company in Canada across all industries. According to a study by Morneau Shepell, one-in-three working Canadians report having, or having had, a mental health condition such as depression or an anxiety disorder. Starbucks commitment comes at a critical time when immediate action is required to support mental health treatment in Canada.

“At Starbucks we care about our partners, and from the very start of our company we have been an industry leader in benefits. Last year we held open forums across the country with our partners and heard first-hand that receiving mental health support is important to them,” said Sara Presutto, vice president, human resources, Starbucks Canada. “The statistics are very clear that mental health is an important issue that is affecting many Canadians. We do not believe the current level of support for mental health benefits provided by Canadian employers is sufficient and we encourage all companies in Canada to step up and join this important effort.” 

With the average age of Starbucks employees being 24, the company is a leading employer for young people. This is an important age where early intervention can help ensure a healthy future. Up to 75 per cent of mental health problems have an age of onset occurring in childhood, adolescence or young adulthood. The prevalence of mental health problems and illnesses among emerging adults rises progressively as they transition to adulthood and peaks by the time they reach 29 years of age.&nbsp; It is estimated that of the 1.2 million Canadian children and youth affected by mental illness, less than 20 per cent will receive appropriate treatment.&nbsp;In fact, the mental health and well-being of emerging adults during this time of life predicts good or poor health late into adulthood.

&nbsp;“Given most adults spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else – and with many youth holding at least part-time jobs – addressing issues of mental health at work is vitally important,” said Louise Bradley, President and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.&nbsp; “The progressive action taken today by Starbucks Canada demonstrates leadership and sets a bar to which all employers can aspire.”

Mental health is a complex issue and many different solutions are required to treat dramatically varying needs. Mental health can be affected by bereavement, changing life stages, caring for elderly parents, dealing with illnesses such as depression and anxiety, among many more factors. The company’s enhanced benefit will add significant access to psychological and social worker services for its workforce. Most employer support for mental health covers the cost of three to four counselling sessions without recovery or mitigation, whereas a $5,000 benefit will allow for longer-term treatment.

At the same time, Starbucks is continuing its long-term commitment to providing part-time employees, working a minimum of 20 hours per week, with “full-time” benefits including; health, dental, tuition reimbursements, company stocks, future savings, career and personal support services. The company also offers an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) to all employees which provides mental health support, including short-term services.

The company commits to increasing their mental health benefits 10 times to $5,000 per year to provide more support to its partners (employees).

Starbucks Canada Launches Unprecedented Mental Health Benefit

https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2016/starbucks-canada-mental-health-benefit/

employee benefits

Behind the Green Apron: Our Sustained Commitment to Partner Care

Starbucks Canada Launches Unprecedented Mental Health Benefit