I'm a store manager. I worked my way up through the company over the last 7 years. Starbucks simply has unrealistic and sometimes impossible expectations at all levels of employment. As a store manager I work about 50-60 hours a week in store with an additional 5 hours of administrative work at home. I have to send three reports a week and I am expected to work my all of my store's most profitable days. I also have to post a schedule on Tuesday. Therefore I can only take Thursday and Sunday off, if I strictly followed those rules, which doesn't lead to a healthy work life balance. The compensation is dismal. Starting at $42,000 with low opportunity for bonus in most stores. The hourly wage breaks down to less $15 an hour, which for upper management is pathetic. It's especially disheartening when you consider the fact the my store's annual profit is a cool million and growing. It's not bad when you get some really great people in roles below you, however you can't expect them to stay forever because as they get older and wiser they realize it's not fiscally sensible to stay with Starbucks long term. I used to love this company. I thought management would lend me the authority and the autonomy to run a great business. Instead I find myself being micromanaged and reprimanded for not achieving the impossible. The red tape through corporate when it comes to employee management leaves me with next to no authority in reality, while I have to struggle with maintaining the illusion that I could fire someone for simply not working hard or fast enough. I hate going to work everyday and I am consistently searching for employment elsewhere, which is so sad considering how well I know the business of Starbucks.
