It's no secret the hospitality industry can be a brutal business. Unsociable hours, meagre earnings, a high-stress environment, rude customers - and of course, trying not to ruin someone's day by spilling wine on their white shirt.
As someone who worked as a waitress for more than four years, it's also notoriously difficult to take time off; even taking a sick day or a personal day can come with the added stress of finding someone to cover the shift. And it was this predicament that served as the last straw for one Starbucks barista, who quit their job after more than two years with the beverage behemoth.
Sharing screenshots of a text exchange with her superior on Twitter, former barista and psychology student Auralee Smith explained she had messaged her boss requesting a day off as her family dog was being put down.
As per the screenshots, Smith had texted her manager to advise that she was looking for someone to cover her Sunday shift as the dog was being put down on Saturday night.
"I'm sorry to do this but I'm trying to find coverage for my Sunday shift. I have to put my dog down on Saturday night and I will be an absolute mess. She's my best friend," Smith wrote.
"I'm just letting you know ahead of time, I'm going to text some people and see if they can help out."
But her manager's response sounded less than empathetic, with the superior replying: "I'm really gonna need you to find coverage. I understand it's a tough situation but you have plenty of notice so it's not going to be approved if you don't come in."
Clearly worried the venue would be short-staffed or typically one of the busiest days of the week, the manager added: "Is there a way you could do it on a night where you don't work the next day?"
It was clearly the final straw for Smith, who responded: "I'll do my best to find coverage. I'm sorry this is inconvenient but it's the family dog and she's very sick and it's what my family has decided to do. I can't reschedule when I put my dog down for Starbucks.
"This is also me putting in my two weeks [notice] officially. I've worked for this company for 2.5 years and I appreciate what it's done for me but I'm ready to move on."
Sharing the exchange to her Twitter late last month, Smith captioned the screenshots: "That time that my boss asked me if I could change the day I put my dog to sleep for Starbucks."
It's fair to say the conversation prompted outrage and disgust among users, many of whom shared their own anecdotes of feeling undervalued or dehumanised at their former jobs.
Others noted that the manager should have taken it upon themselves to reorganise the roster to ensure their employee could take the time they needed to recover from a devastating loss.
"I worked for Disney for 35 years. When my sister unexpectedly passed away I told my boss I would be taking five days of bereavement leave (company policy when an immediate family member passes away). My boss's response: 'were you THAT close to your sister?' I just walked away," one reader shared.
"I quit on the spot over text, I didn't really care… I was a part-time worker, full-time student. He scheduled me full time during finals week and I couldn't say no or find coverage… I suffered a lot because of Starbucks," another pitched in.
However, some readers sympathised with the manager and acknowledged that they had offered their condolences while making it clear that Smith would need to find cover in order to take the day off.
"While I understand why you would be upset, the manager offered condolences and was understanding as long as you're able to get coverage. If he makes an exception for you, he'd have to do it for everyone, which in a business, he could get in trouble and lose his job," one pointed out.
"I love, love dogs, but this is the real grown-up world. They are running a business. Perhaps not the most supportive manager, but no, your responsibility as an employee doesn't stop because you're putting your beloved dog down. Suspect you will find this true as you go forward," a second weighed in, with a third agreeing: "I don't see the issue... you should give a formal written notice for giving [your] two weeks, not a text. Dogs don't fall under bereavement."
Speaking to The Insider, Smith acknowledged that it wasn't entirely the manager's fault for coming across as cold, noting that Starbucks has cultivated a reputation for overworking their staff and overlooking their employees' well-being; a sentiment many on the Twitter thread appeared to agree with.
Another former employee of the chain added: "This was my biggest beef with working there. I'd call in sick and be told to call around to other stores to find someone to cover my shift. You're the manager, isn't that your job? I'm not getting paid [US]$7.25 for that."
"To me, this is just the mentality that Starbucks promotes behind the scenes," Smith told The Insider.
A spokesperson for Starbucks told the outlet that the snippet of the messages shared by their former staff did not present the full picture.
The spokesperson said the company offered personal leave and sick leave to staff, but in this case, Smith did not ask for it, and her manager did not offer it.
"The health and well-being of our partners is and continues to be our top priority. In this instance, we were able to support this partner in getting her work covered at that time," a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement.
It is unknown which Starbucks Smith worked for.
