Starbucks Refuses To Give Mom Consistent Schedule, Internet Blames Her For Having Kids

I am a lover of Starbucks, just like every other red-blooded American, but I’m not a lover of their workplace practices. Corporate giant Starbucks has been in the news recently because of their scheduling technology and how it affects workers with children, originally covered in the New York Times. Now, more Starbucks employees are coming out of the woodwork to criticize the chain’s inconsistent scheduling system and how it does not cater to parents.

Allison Montgomery is one Starbucks employee and parent in particular who told her story to the Huffington Post:

”Starbucks is not catering to parents at all, it’s been going on for a long time,” Montgomery said Wednesday during a segment on HuffPost Live. ”You’re at the mercy of the software.”

Her woes mirrored those of Jannette Navarro, the single mother profiled in a New York Times story published last week that exposed the plight of Starbucks workers balancing home life with the chain’s irregular hours.

Montgomery is a single mother who works as a barista in Pennsylvania. As a single mother of four children, she has difficulty finding adequate daycare in the wake of her erratic work hours. Not only that, the unpredictability of her Starbucks schedule has also affected her wages; she is unable to accurately track her income to receive much-needed government benefits. This ”irregular” source of income cost her state-funded childcare subsidies.

I have never worked at Starbucks, but I have worked at a restaurant before, for many years before I was a parent. At the time, it was no biggie to deal with scheduling software or to get my shift canceled at the last minute or to get sent home early if there wasn’t enough business. If I had been a parent providing for kids at the time, I would have been irate.

Montgomery is one Starbucks worker who seems to be doing everything in her power to make the most of her situation. She states that she has begged her manager for more hours. She has woken up at three in the morning to take her kids to a babysitter before taking two different buses to work. Montgomery is just asking for one simple request from Starbucks””a normal schedule so that she can be a better parent.

Of course, any time a parenting topic is brought up on the Internet, criticism abounds. Somehow, commenters on the story have connected the dots to blame Starbucks’ scheduling issues on the fact that Montgomery is a parent in the first place. Here are some of the gems:

Yeah, this woman’s plight is all Starbucks fault. Ignore the fact she has four kids while holding a basic job. Life is tough when you make bad decisions in your life.

I miss the days where people were responsible human beings making responsible decisions. How is this situation Starbucks’ problem? (unless of course they impregnated her 4 times). Its a lot easier to blame your bad decisions or unfortunate situations on others than it is to accept them as a result of YOUR own actions.

Should have considered her life choices when she was pregnant with her second. ” do I have the skill set to adequately provide for my children?” If not, perhaps breeding #3 and #4 should have been delayed. Perhaps the father(s) can assist. Not around? More unsound choices….

Nope, sorry, peanut gallery””but you are wrong. People would be complaining if this woman did not have a job and was only living off government assistance. She is busting her ass to make ends meet, and Starbucks has already received criticism for not working with their employees. How many complaints from Starbucks employees with children will it take to see a difference?

(Image: Sean Wandzilak/Shutterstock)