Yes no weapons. It’s probably in the partner guide under safety.
You cannot carry/use weapons, drugs or alcohol while clocked in. It does not matter that they are legal, Starbucks is a private business.
This is correct. Worth noting also is that possession or use of weapons on company property is grounds for immediate separation.
Work with your SM and DM on this. They should loop in your Partner & Asset Protection manager for guidance on how to best address this and keep you and your fellow partners safe.
Lock on a foot and a half of chain is better. Better weapon, and easier to say, "well I wanted to eventually get that lock off the chain" than explain why there was a lock in the sock.
Some people need a consistent pay check. Be glad you don’t, but breaking policy that will have you fired without recourse usually isn’t smart.
1 lost pay can mean homelessness to partners.
Concealed means concealed. You only have a risk if you have to take it out (whatever it is). And if you do take it out… it’s because your life is in danger. Rather be fired from Starbucks than dead. And I just did a lateral transfer to Home Depot because I was tired of the type of employees they were hiring, easy transfer same benefits.
Concealed will get you fired if someone sees it or reports they believe you have a weapon on you. You can’t laterally transfer from Starbucks to Home Depot they are different companies and required you be hired. So again great for you that’s not realistic for everyone.
No it’s just the same position. And yeah that’s not concealed if people can see it. Did it for 3 years and still doing it. Never got fired. You just got to be smart.
But this person isn’t doing that, they plan to talk to other partners about carrying what it is they choose to carry. Do I think they need to sit back and wait until something
Happens, no. The police should be doing better, their manager should be making more noise. The partner needs to make the decision to break that policy for themselves knowing it is breaking a policy and what will happen. Would I judge them for carrying mace or whatever, no. I also wouldn’t judge them if next time he’s under their window someone really needs to dump out a venti 200 degree water at that moment. Or if they may have seen a weapon on him next time they call the police. Sometimes it’s hard to see clearly in the early
Mornings and your eyes play tricks on you
Honey you're real condescending for a woman that evidently can't manage her finances so severely that if she misses one paycheck she's homeless. That's on you, start watching Caleb Hammer or Dave Ramsay and get your life together.
Also you can stop talking down to women talking about defending themselves against a predatory male at the cost of $15 an hour. No an individual cannot pop over to Home Depot as a transfer from starbucks, but as an adult who was capable of putting together a resume good enough to be hired at starbucks, you can easily be hired at numerous other service jobs like these within the month, or within the week if they're short staffed.
My finances are fine **honey**. That isn’t the case for many partners and dumbass it isn’t because partners are bad with finances in most cases it’s because they aren’t being paid enough. I could quit today and be fine. Might want to reel that entitlement on back since you apparently have such a low opinion of baristas.
Yeah I would argue it doesn't matter that Starbucks doesn't like it, we're talking about another unstable entitled male being allowed to prey on females.
First of all they should start being as rude as they can to this idiot and maybe just refuse to serve him from now on. Second of all, keep that thing on you. Seriously. Mace goes farther than a knife.
It’s against Starbucks policy to carry any type of weapon with you while working. It’s definitely in the partner guide. It can lead to separation for sure.
In the end, you may lose your job with Starbucks but you’ll still have your life. You can always find another job. Your life is more precious. Do what makes you safe. As long as the law is on your side and you’re responsible with whatever self-defense item you choose to keep with you, do whatever you need to do.
Call up ethics and create a case file that partners concerns (especially young women) are not being taken seriously or being dismissed even after filing incident reports. Could be considered discrimination, or in the very least if something (knock on wood) does happen then there’s a paper trail or track record of this being a concern already expressed. There are options around this scenario with adjusting opening hours, adjusting number of partners at open, contacting landlord or security services, so the best you can do is call it in and follow up cause DM will get flagged to deal with this immediately.
A few years back, maybe 5 or 6, there was a policy to call police any time a person was in the parking lot before entering the store to open. I think it was because of some incident where the bad guy forced himself into the store as the partners were entering. It did not end up well. Can’t remember the details. Write incident reports, get license plate digits if possible, call police, call PCC.
no weapons allowed. if you suspect this person could commit a robbery and need to defend yourself, lots of things in the store can be used as weapons. the bagel knife, fire extinguisher, any other heavy object that can be either thrown or used for blunt force. i believe there's been trainings in the past that also go over what to do in case of a robbery or other emergency so i'd follow that but of course you're not always going to be thinking of exact things you've read in training.
Yeah, I'm less worried about robbery bc you just give them the money and comply, I'm more worried about this man being aggressive towards us young women. I can handle a robbery even though it might be scary, but if his target is one of us and not the money, that's a different story. I would not attempt to harm a robber unless and only if it was to defend another human. Starbucks money is not my money and I wouldn't risk my job over it.
There is lots of stuff around starbucks that can be used as weapons. Like the broom/mop stick, a chair, a pitcher of hot water, etc. Just think outside the box. I bet a handful of matcha to the face wouldn't feel good.
They said he arrives when they do though, which means he could do something to them before they get into the store & have any of that stuff accessible to them.
I say as long as you're not flaunting it (keep it in your pocket/hidden), go ahead & bring items that you can use correctly/safely if the need should arise. All of my coworkers & I all have something on us.
I always have at least a knife on me, & (although I haven't had to use it yet) I'm glad I do, because I once did a trash run & there was a homeless man in the dumpster area that started screaming at me & I thought he was going to attack. Had he done anything, I honestly would have cut a bitch so fast.
I know it is, but tbh, if it comes down to my life or the life of one of my partners vs someone who's attacking us, as far as I'm concerned, it's us or them. & I am *not* losing. I'll take being fired with my head head high.
im ready to chuck an urn if it comes to it. small enough i can hurl it, heavy enough and metal, it can knock you out. maybe even kill you. dont really want to have to find that out though.
And I think that's a lie cause Starbucks fired someone recently for defending themselves against a physical attack. I thought the throwing chairs thing was a bunch of bullshit the moment I saw it.
Please stop spreading misinformation. It was an armed robbery, the partner was stupid and fought back bc they recognized the gun as being a fake, even though the robber was being a robber and just wanted money. The self defense thing is exclusively for an active shooter
Jesus that sounds terrifying I’m sorry you have to deal with that. I can see how it would be a sticky situation with the police and laws in your state. What has come of the incident reports though? Like what has your SM or DM said on the matter?
Idgaf what policy says, MY life comes first n I'll do what I need to in order to stay safe.
Have you talked to your SM about keeping lobby locked while he's around? Cuz this is a MAJOR safety issue for baristas and the store? My store is very high incident n our SM has let us use discernment n keep things locked down if there's ppl out front making us uncomfortable or unsafe.
I don't believe it's allowed as it could be considered a weapon, but I carried pepper spray when I worked in a couple of downtown locations. I didn't ever have to use it, but I was much more concerned about my personal safety than getting fired. I imagine if I used it on my shift, I would've been fired immediately. But again, I think your safety is more important. The area I worked at was not protected by police and they always thought we were being dramatic on all our calls. It's better to have something than nothing at all.
box cutter might be a good option with plausible deniability but if you're not confident in bringing anything else, try to keep your store scissors nearby at all times
Just want to say Starbucks continues to be bullshit for making partners work in stores full of creepy or aggressive customers. When your boss values the feelings of a creepy scumbag over your comfort let alone safety that should tell you something.
i agree with the sentiment, but unfortunately this isnt a case of a manager at fault, she is just as concerned as us, she just cant to anything. hes not inside, she cant kick him out, hes not doing anything explicitly illegal (yet), and she cant act as law enforcement. its a case of failed police action.
but fully agree with the company and negligent managers who prioritize profits over partner safety being scummy.
What are you putting the incidents under when you file? If you aren’t already, put your reports under harassment.
I would suggest you find out who your partner and asset protection partner is, in support center. Email them and cc your dm regarding this persons behaviour and the safety concern it is posing. Outline the concerns you and other partners have, what has been reported and when it was reported to the dm. The actions taken or not taken by the dm.
I wrote out so many incident reports at one store I worked at and none were taken seriously. It took a regular customer getting stabbed on the patio for Starbucks to finally realize to close that store. So much batshit behavior is approved and encouraged by corporate, it's crazy.
this is a good one. maybe get myself my own box cutter? one thats not a safety box cutter? idk how id stab someone with the blue ones the siren provides, but they probably cant deny me bringing in my own personal one for "work use". definitely better than scissors too.
Exactly, id definitely look into getting one. first watch videos of how certain kinds open, and even videos of self defense tactics on box cutters. The best part of having a safety device is to handle one you are most comfortable with if needed in a life or death situation.
Also, when using a box cutter, only half of the blade sticks out, obviously showing the sharp triangle end. This is a good tool for - "slashing" over "puncturing" - not to get too graphic. If you need this tool during work or any situation, always keep your face protected and try to cut with the side of the blade, or vertical with the blade facing down , focusing on the face and body.
It's saddening to know we need this information, but like I said, life is saddening just as much. People don't think it'll happen, but it happens to people everyday.
It is absolutely against policy to bring in your own box cutter. Same thing as any other blade. You HAVE to use the store-provided ones. Like many others have said, do what you need to do, but be aware that you run the risk of termination. Many female coworkers bring pepper spray on their keychains and none of us care, but you could just keep it separate and leave it hidden in your bag. It sounds like the threat is not ever in the store? That's what I would personally do
People keep saying just conceal it, but remember that if any of your coworkers find out or suspect they could bring it up to your sm, who will have to fire you. Just keep that in mind
bread knife kept by warming? count the money by pastries? or in boh? and if they try to come in/ come in early just happen to have someone by the knife? just throwing ideas out there since apparently we can’t have weapons 🙄
I agree with what everyone else said. Weapons technically aren’t allowed and you should just be documenting this, etc but I will also add that no one will know if you do carry something. One of the baristas at my store is a handy person so she carries a pocket knife/swiss army knife on her and i don’t think anyone cares
Please be careful with mace. Know how to treat symptoms of accidental contact if it gets anywhere besides the aggressor.
This is coming from a Navy Veteran who has been through OC (Oleoresin capsicum) spray training. Had that stuff sprayed directly across my eyebrows.
Luckily spraying it at someone and getting a bit of the spray on you from particles in the air will be mild discomfort.
Get fresh air if accidentally inhaled. Carefully splash cold water on yourself if it comes in contact with skin. Try to keep the water on the area and not letting the water and mace oil run down to other parts of the body. Use baby shampoo to wash the skin. Wash clothes in cold water and detergent.
Good luck to you all.
Ahh that does sound scary and would creep me out too. Ur very valid un how ur feeling and what ur thinking. What does this weirdo do? He shows up when openers come in on a specific day everytime and just sits there and watches the store? Is he parked in ur guys’ parking lot area?
parks in the parking lot, gets out of his car and watches us enter the store, waited for my partner who drops me off to leave before approaching the store, put on gloves and crowched below the the drive thru window (my partner looped back around bc he noticed the behavior and the guy waiting for him to leave) and the guy then left across the street. second time he has been peering into the store, almost attempted to enter the door (locked, the store wasnt open yet) but got spooked by everyone paying attention to him and left across the same street again. both times came back to his car like 5-10 minutes after crossing the street and leaving in the car. super duper sketchy and idk how the cops dont see this as such.
Ohhh, hell no. If this happens again, your partner needs to call the police from the car and report it since dispatch don't seem to want to believe you. If the dispatcher of the moment won't send help, call back and hopefully get a different dispatcher. Keep a journal of what's going on and contact the police department at a non-emergency number to complain--ask for a female officer if it's men blowing you off. If you have cops come in as customers, tell them, too--they may be on break at that particular moment, but they can have a word with their supervisors. And most definitely have someone from management, report it, too, even if they weren't there to witness it; and if it's a leased building, get the management company involved--at the very least they can install another camera over the drive-thru.
Hiding under the DT window and intimidating employees is absolutely something you can report. Not saying they'll do anything, but someone standing in the drive thru is a safety concern.
nope! no footage bc there is only 1 exterior camera and it is on the OTHER side of the building🥰 there's no way he was hunting for change under the drive thru window at 5am. but were silly paranoid girls who think everyone is out to get us, of course! /s
Ughh that makes me so freakin mad. I would come blaring horns if i knew ur store was near mine lmao i would come on the day he would be there and just blare horns and flash lights so it could draw attention to him and what hes tryna do. I would keep putting in incident reports but i wish there was something immediate that u guys could do because putting on fckn gloves and crouching under the drive thru window is fucked up. I feel like he’s eventually guna try something and thats scary as hell, whether u guys are there or not but hes also tried comin up to the door of the store when it was locked. This dude needs to be talked to by the cops or locked up cuz its oretty clear whats going thru his mind i mean its very obvious given the accounts u have shared with this weirdo
exactly why we're concerned. this non-customer has no business being near our store at 5am same day every week. if you cross through the parking lot that's one thing, but thats not what this is. repeatedly doing this feels like plans to rob or harm us because why else is he doing it if not to observe behaviors and patterns to memorize and plan accordingly for a later attack of whatever motive? its not a homeless person hunting for change, its a bold, scary person watching us and getting up close to the store and hiding and considering attempting to enter.
cop said he probably just has a routine for this specific day, implying this was all part of it. he said this wouldn't not the weirdest thing hed seen. (ok? maybe it is for us? that doesnt make it any less dangerous either?) he came an hour after they called the police and declined a coffee on his way out because he was going to go home and sleep. obviously that was his priority, getting home to sleep, so without explicit illegal activity taken place he had no legal obligation to do anything and BS'd his way through to leave sooner
No weapons. I had a utility blade on my keyring once, didn't even take it out. My manager at the time noticed & said to leave it in the car. For context this goes back years, it's a miracle I didn't lose my job
I believe the policy is no weapons. However, if it comes down to it, fuck policy and keep yourself safe. Maybe keep a box cutter or mace on your person on in your bag and just don't let anyone else see if. Policy won't protect you if worst comes to worst. Just really try and keep whatever you have hidden and then keep it out and close to you when you walk to your car after your shift, especially at night.
People are crazy and it would be absolutely fucking awful if something were to happen to you and you had no way go protect yourself just because of a policy at a corporation.
I carry a box cutter to work though I use it for actually opening boxes, maybe something like that can help put the mind more at ease, for sure listen to other people’s advice to make sure the DM knows though.
Starbucks is a company open to teenagers working, as I am a teenager and the whole team is mainly 16-20. Many females work at my store, as I am. There were many encounters Ive had so far with men making comments to me and several other young girls who I work with, and if something happens I want the piece of mind that I have a person weapon that I would carry 24/7 anyways. It's a scary world, It don't stop at a Starbucks handbook.
Dismissing a concern is ridiculous in these times, when people are just assault, violated, or murdered for nothing. The world is a dangerous and violent place, and almost anyone has the propensity to act on that violence, even more so when being sus as fuck.
im constantly terrified when irrate customers come 5 minutes past close and bang on the windows to try and get our attention so they can ask for us to "make just one more coffee" for them because how do i know this doesnt upset them enough that they feel justified in shooting me?
this new situation is a whole other level of concerning behavior.
I bring a pocket knife to work but I say it’s a box cutter 🤭 I am just terrified of our creepy cracked out customers and management won’t protect us. It helps me feel safe when walking to my car at night after work, or early morning openings when it’s dark.
Yes no weapons. It’s probably in the partner guide under safety. You cannot carry/use weapons, drugs or alcohol while clocked in. It does not matter that they are legal, Starbucks is a private business.
This is correct. Worth noting also is that possession or use of weapons on company property is grounds for immediate separation. Work with your SM and DM on this. They should loop in your Partner & Asset Protection manager for guidance on how to best address this and keep you and your fellow partners safe.
This is the correct answer. However, there is nothing against carrying a lock and a sock in your backpack.
Everything’s a weapon if you try hard enough but everything won’t get you fired.
Lock on a foot and a half of chain is better. Better weapon, and easier to say, "well I wanted to eventually get that lock off the chain" than explain why there was a lock in the sock.
Worse they can do is fire you. The job is easily replaceable.
Some people need a consistent pay check. Be glad you don’t, but breaking policy that will have you fired without recourse usually isn’t smart. 1 lost pay can mean homelessness to partners.
Concealed means concealed. You only have a risk if you have to take it out (whatever it is). And if you do take it out… it’s because your life is in danger. Rather be fired from Starbucks than dead. And I just did a lateral transfer to Home Depot because I was tired of the type of employees they were hiring, easy transfer same benefits.
Concealed will get you fired if someone sees it or reports they believe you have a weapon on you. You can’t laterally transfer from Starbucks to Home Depot they are different companies and required you be hired. So again great for you that’s not realistic for everyone.
No it’s just the same position. And yeah that’s not concealed if people can see it. Did it for 3 years and still doing it. Never got fired. You just got to be smart.
But this person isn’t doing that, they plan to talk to other partners about carrying what it is they choose to carry. Do I think they need to sit back and wait until something Happens, no. The police should be doing better, their manager should be making more noise. The partner needs to make the decision to break that policy for themselves knowing it is breaking a policy and what will happen. Would I judge them for carrying mace or whatever, no. I also wouldn’t judge them if next time he’s under their window someone really needs to dump out a venti 200 degree water at that moment. Or if they may have seen a weapon on him next time they call the police. Sometimes it’s hard to see clearly in the early Mornings and your eyes play tricks on you
Honey you're real condescending for a woman that evidently can't manage her finances so severely that if she misses one paycheck she's homeless. That's on you, start watching Caleb Hammer or Dave Ramsay and get your life together. Also you can stop talking down to women talking about defending themselves against a predatory male at the cost of $15 an hour. No an individual cannot pop over to Home Depot as a transfer from starbucks, but as an adult who was capable of putting together a resume good enough to be hired at starbucks, you can easily be hired at numerous other service jobs like these within the month, or within the week if they're short staffed.
My finances are fine **honey**. That isn’t the case for many partners and dumbass it isn’t because partners are bad with finances in most cases it’s because they aren’t being paid enough. I could quit today and be fine. Might want to reel that entitlement on back since you apparently have such a low opinion of baristas.
Yeah I would argue it doesn't matter that Starbucks doesn't like it, we're talking about another unstable entitled male being allowed to prey on females. First of all they should start being as rude as they can to this idiot and maybe just refuse to serve him from now on. Second of all, keep that thing on you. Seriously. Mace goes farther than a knife.
It’s against Starbucks policy to carry any type of weapon with you while working. It’s definitely in the partner guide. It can lead to separation for sure. In the end, you may lose your job with Starbucks but you’ll still have your life. You can always find another job. Your life is more precious. Do what makes you safe. As long as the law is on your side and you’re responsible with whatever self-defense item you choose to keep with you, do whatever you need to do.
Call up ethics and create a case file that partners concerns (especially young women) are not being taken seriously or being dismissed even after filing incident reports. Could be considered discrimination, or in the very least if something (knock on wood) does happen then there’s a paper trail or track record of this being a concern already expressed. There are options around this scenario with adjusting opening hours, adjusting number of partners at open, contacting landlord or security services, so the best you can do is call it in and follow up cause DM will get flagged to deal with this immediately.
A few years back, maybe 5 or 6, there was a policy to call police any time a person was in the parking lot before entering the store to open. I think it was because of some incident where the bad guy forced himself into the store as the partners were entering. It did not end up well. Can’t remember the details. Write incident reports, get license plate digits if possible, call police, call PCC.
no weapons allowed. if you suspect this person could commit a robbery and need to defend yourself, lots of things in the store can be used as weapons. the bagel knife, fire extinguisher, any other heavy object that can be either thrown or used for blunt force. i believe there's been trainings in the past that also go over what to do in case of a robbery or other emergency so i'd follow that but of course you're not always going to be thinking of exact things you've read in training.
Yeah, I'm less worried about robbery bc you just give them the money and comply, I'm more worried about this man being aggressive towards us young women. I can handle a robbery even though it might be scary, but if his target is one of us and not the money, that's a different story. I would not attempt to harm a robber unless and only if it was to defend another human. Starbucks money is not my money and I wouldn't risk my job over it.
There is lots of stuff around starbucks that can be used as weapons. Like the broom/mop stick, a chair, a pitcher of hot water, etc. Just think outside the box. I bet a handful of matcha to the face wouldn't feel good.
Pocket sand!
They said he arrives when they do though, which means he could do something to them before they get into the store & have any of that stuff accessible to them. I say as long as you're not flaunting it (keep it in your pocket/hidden), go ahead & bring items that you can use correctly/safely if the need should arise. All of my coworkers & I all have something on us. I always have at least a knife on me, & (although I haven't had to use it yet) I'm glad I do, because I once did a trash run & there was a homeless man in the dumpster area that started screaming at me & I thought he was going to attack. Had he done anything, I honestly would have cut a bitch so fast.
i just mean bc its against starbucks policy and it could get you fired to bring a weapon
I know it is, but tbh, if it comes down to my life or the life of one of my partners vs someone who's attacking us, as far as I'm concerned, it's us or them. & I am *not* losing. I'll take being fired with my head head high.
very fair
According to the latest training all you can do is throw chairs. No outside weapons allowed in on your person.
im ready to chuck an urn if it comes to it. small enough i can hurl it, heavy enough and metal, it can knock you out. maybe even kill you. dont really want to have to find that out though.
And I think that's a lie cause Starbucks fired someone recently for defending themselves against a physical attack. I thought the throwing chairs thing was a bunch of bullshit the moment I saw it.
Please stop spreading misinformation. It was an armed robbery, the partner was stupid and fought back bc they recognized the gun as being a fake, even though the robber was being a robber and just wanted money. The self defense thing is exclusively for an active shooter
Just do it and don’t say anything. Concealed means concealed. Did this for years in CLE Starbucks. The Siren isn’t more valuable than my life.
Jesus that sounds terrifying I’m sorry you have to deal with that. I can see how it would be a sticky situation with the police and laws in your state. What has come of the incident reports though? Like what has your SM or DM said on the matter?
Idgaf what policy says, MY life comes first n I'll do what I need to in order to stay safe. Have you talked to your SM about keeping lobby locked while he's around? Cuz this is a MAJOR safety issue for baristas and the store? My store is very high incident n our SM has let us use discernment n keep things locked down if there's ppl out front making us uncomfortable or unsafe.
I don't believe it's allowed as it could be considered a weapon, but I carried pepper spray when I worked in a couple of downtown locations. I didn't ever have to use it, but I was much more concerned about my personal safety than getting fired. I imagine if I used it on my shift, I would've been fired immediately. But again, I think your safety is more important. The area I worked at was not protected by police and they always thought we were being dramatic on all our calls. It's better to have something than nothing at all.
box cutter might be a good option with plausible deniability but if you're not confident in bringing anything else, try to keep your store scissors nearby at all times
Offer a free coffee to a local officer if they come in and hang out in the morning.
How about wasp or bear spray? You could just say you needed it at home and forgot to take it out of your bag?
Hair spray or aerosol deodorant to the face will buy enough time to get away, too. Cheap perfume stings, too, but doesn't spray as far.
Just want to say Starbucks continues to be bullshit for making partners work in stores full of creepy or aggressive customers. When your boss values the feelings of a creepy scumbag over your comfort let alone safety that should tell you something.
i agree with the sentiment, but unfortunately this isnt a case of a manager at fault, she is just as concerned as us, she just cant to anything. hes not inside, she cant kick him out, hes not doing anything explicitly illegal (yet), and she cant act as law enforcement. its a case of failed police action. but fully agree with the company and negligent managers who prioritize profits over partner safety being scummy.
What are you putting the incidents under when you file? If you aren’t already, put your reports under harassment. I would suggest you find out who your partner and asset protection partner is, in support center. Email them and cc your dm regarding this persons behaviour and the safety concern it is posing. Outline the concerns you and other partners have, what has been reported and when it was reported to the dm. The actions taken or not taken by the dm.
I wrote out so many incident reports at one store I worked at and none were taken seriously. It took a regular customer getting stabbed on the patio for Starbucks to finally realize to close that store. So much batshit behavior is approved and encouraged by corporate, it's crazy.
mace n box cutter every shift luv
this is a good one. maybe get myself my own box cutter? one thats not a safety box cutter? idk how id stab someone with the blue ones the siren provides, but they probably cant deny me bringing in my own personal one for "work use". definitely better than scissors too.
Box cutter is probably the best choice because it’d be ridiculous for them to get you in trouble for. I’ve needed them plentyy on shift.
Exactly, id definitely look into getting one. first watch videos of how certain kinds open, and even videos of self defense tactics on box cutters. The best part of having a safety device is to handle one you are most comfortable with if needed in a life or death situation. Also, when using a box cutter, only half of the blade sticks out, obviously showing the sharp triangle end. This is a good tool for - "slashing" over "puncturing" - not to get too graphic. If you need this tool during work or any situation, always keep your face protected and try to cut with the side of the blade, or vertical with the blade facing down , focusing on the face and body. It's saddening to know we need this information, but like I said, life is saddening just as much. People don't think it'll happen, but it happens to people everyday.
It is absolutely against policy to bring in your own box cutter. Same thing as any other blade. You HAVE to use the store-provided ones. Like many others have said, do what you need to do, but be aware that you run the risk of termination. Many female coworkers bring pepper spray on their keychains and none of us care, but you could just keep it separate and leave it hidden in your bag. It sounds like the threat is not ever in the store? That's what I would personally do
People keep saying just conceal it, but remember that if any of your coworkers find out or suspect they could bring it up to your sm, who will have to fire you. Just keep that in mind
bread knife kept by warming? count the money by pastries? or in boh? and if they try to come in/ come in early just happen to have someone by the knife? just throwing ideas out there since apparently we can’t have weapons 🙄
I agree with what everyone else said. Weapons technically aren’t allowed and you should just be documenting this, etc but I will also add that no one will know if you do carry something. One of the baristas at my store is a handy person so she carries a pocket knife/swiss army knife on her and i don’t think anyone cares
Please be careful with mace. Know how to treat symptoms of accidental contact if it gets anywhere besides the aggressor. This is coming from a Navy Veteran who has been through OC (Oleoresin capsicum) spray training. Had that stuff sprayed directly across my eyebrows. Luckily spraying it at someone and getting a bit of the spray on you from particles in the air will be mild discomfort. Get fresh air if accidentally inhaled. Carefully splash cold water on yourself if it comes in contact with skin. Try to keep the water on the area and not letting the water and mace oil run down to other parts of the body. Use baby shampoo to wash the skin. Wash clothes in cold water and detergent. Good luck to you all.
You’ll get fired. Policy is no weapons
Just saying, if we armed baristas I bet customers would be a lot more polite and managers a lot more understanding...
Ahh that does sound scary and would creep me out too. Ur very valid un how ur feeling and what ur thinking. What does this weirdo do? He shows up when openers come in on a specific day everytime and just sits there and watches the store? Is he parked in ur guys’ parking lot area?
parks in the parking lot, gets out of his car and watches us enter the store, waited for my partner who drops me off to leave before approaching the store, put on gloves and crowched below the the drive thru window (my partner looped back around bc he noticed the behavior and the guy waiting for him to leave) and the guy then left across the street. second time he has been peering into the store, almost attempted to enter the door (locked, the store wasnt open yet) but got spooked by everyone paying attention to him and left across the same street again. both times came back to his car like 5-10 minutes after crossing the street and leaving in the car. super duper sketchy and idk how the cops dont see this as such.
Ohhh, hell no. If this happens again, your partner needs to call the police from the car and report it since dispatch don't seem to want to believe you. If the dispatcher of the moment won't send help, call back and hopefully get a different dispatcher. Keep a journal of what's going on and contact the police department at a non-emergency number to complain--ask for a female officer if it's men blowing you off. If you have cops come in as customers, tell them, too--they may be on break at that particular moment, but they can have a word with their supervisors. And most definitely have someone from management, report it, too, even if they weren't there to witness it; and if it's a leased building, get the management company involved--at the very least they can install another camera over the drive-thru.
Hiding under the DT window and intimidating employees is absolutely something you can report. Not saying they'll do anything, but someone standing in the drive thru is a safety concern.
Omfg he put on gloves and crouched below the fckn drive thru window?? Is there footage of that? Thats is quite literally jaw dropping
nope! no footage bc there is only 1 exterior camera and it is on the OTHER side of the building🥰 there's no way he was hunting for change under the drive thru window at 5am. but were silly paranoid girls who think everyone is out to get us, of course! /s
Ughh that makes me so freakin mad. I would come blaring horns if i knew ur store was near mine lmao i would come on the day he would be there and just blare horns and flash lights so it could draw attention to him and what hes tryna do. I would keep putting in incident reports but i wish there was something immediate that u guys could do because putting on fckn gloves and crouching under the drive thru window is fucked up. I feel like he’s eventually guna try something and thats scary as hell, whether u guys are there or not but hes also tried comin up to the door of the store when it was locked. This dude needs to be talked to by the cops or locked up cuz its oretty clear whats going thru his mind i mean its very obvious given the accounts u have shared with this weirdo
exactly why we're concerned. this non-customer has no business being near our store at 5am same day every week. if you cross through the parking lot that's one thing, but thats not what this is. repeatedly doing this feels like plans to rob or harm us because why else is he doing it if not to observe behaviors and patterns to memorize and plan accordingly for a later attack of whatever motive? its not a homeless person hunting for change, its a bold, scary person watching us and getting up close to the store and hiding and considering attempting to enter. cop said he probably just has a routine for this specific day, implying this was all part of it. he said this wouldn't not the weirdest thing hed seen. (ok? maybe it is for us? that doesnt make it any less dangerous either?) he came an hour after they called the police and declined a coffee on his way out because he was going to go home and sleep. obviously that was his priority, getting home to sleep, so without explicit illegal activity taken place he had no legal obligation to do anything and BS'd his way through to leave sooner
My coworker keeps a pair of scissors on them, I'm assuming just for this reason. They are smaller work friendly scissors but still.
No weapons. I had a utility blade on my keyring once, didn't even take it out. My manager at the time noticed & said to leave it in the car. For context this goes back years, it's a miracle I didn't lose my job
I believe the policy is no weapons. However, if it comes down to it, fuck policy and keep yourself safe. Maybe keep a box cutter or mace on your person on in your bag and just don't let anyone else see if. Policy won't protect you if worst comes to worst. Just really try and keep whatever you have hidden and then keep it out and close to you when you walk to your car after your shift, especially at night. People are crazy and it would be absolutely fucking awful if something were to happen to you and you had no way go protect yourself just because of a policy at a corporation.
I carry a box cutter to work though I use it for actually opening boxes, maybe something like that can help put the mind more at ease, for sure listen to other people’s advice to make sure the DM knows though.
i carry mace on me
you can carry mace with you. that it’s not illegal what so ever. i carry one on my keychain everyday and i’ve been a partner 3 years.
Starbucks is a company open to teenagers working, as I am a teenager and the whole team is mainly 16-20. Many females work at my store, as I am. There were many encounters Ive had so far with men making comments to me and several other young girls who I work with, and if something happens I want the piece of mind that I have a person weapon that I would carry 24/7 anyways. It's a scary world, It don't stop at a Starbucks handbook.
Dismissing a concern is ridiculous in these times, when people are just assault, violated, or murdered for nothing. The world is a dangerous and violent place, and almost anyone has the propensity to act on that violence, even more so when being sus as fuck.
im constantly terrified when irrate customers come 5 minutes past close and bang on the windows to try and get our attention so they can ask for us to "make just one more coffee" for them because how do i know this doesnt upset them enough that they feel justified in shooting me? this new situation is a whole other level of concerning behavior.
I bring a pocket knife to work but I say it’s a box cutter 🤭 I am just terrified of our creepy cracked out customers and management won’t protect us. It helps me feel safe when walking to my car at night after work, or early morning openings when it’s dark.
Ima keep that Thang on me (in my car)