Starbucks Letter 2020

Date: Mar.
11, 2020
To: All U.S. partners
From: Rossann Williams
Subject: Comprehensive Partner Care during COVID-19
Dear partners,
Since we first began navigating COVID-19, our goal has been to lead with partner care, transparency and
decision making based in facts and science. Our commitment is to always do what’s best for you, our
customers and our communities. I know many of you are watching the news and wondering how this
outbreak may impact our communities and our loved ones. I want you to know that your Starbucks
family is here for you – today and always – and we want to make sure you are feeling completely
supported with truly comprehensive partner care.
As you all know, we have already activated a set of temporary, precautionary measures in our stores to
help limit the spread of COVID-19 and do what’s right for you and our customers. Over the last 10 days,
we implemented additional cleaning and sanitizing, with an added labor investment so you don’t have
to worry about the extra time it takes to do these tasks. We then moved swiftly to pause the use of
personal cups, "for here" serve ware and sampling. Yesterday, we extended that to include cambros, as
well as guidance on the use of gloves, how to order extra hand sanitizer, and how to best grind whole
bean coffee that our customers bring in. We are taking courageous, proactive actions for you and our
stores, informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health and
food safety experts. I am so thankful for the teamwork you’ve demonstrated to implement these
temporary changes so quickly.
As we navigate COVID-19 together, what matters most is how we, as a company, care for you. I want
you to know that here at Starbucks, you should never have to choose between work and taking care of
yourself. You have our full support when it comes to partner care, including access to catastrophe pay,
benefits that support your physical and mental health, as well as a network of partners who are all here
to help.
Here’s what you need to know:

 We are temporarily expanding catastrophe pay for COVID-19 partner care. Any partner who has
been diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19, or comes in close prolonged contact with
someone in their store or household who has, is eligible for up to 14 days of catastrophe pay –
whether or not they are showing symptoms – so they can self-isolate at home. You can use this
catastrophe pay, and then use additional benefits like sick pay, vacation pay or personal time off
as available. At the end of 14 days, if partners are still unable to return to work, additional pay
replacement may be made up to 26 weeks.
 If you have not had any known contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, but are
showing symptoms, you should stay home until you are symptom free for 24 hours. You can use
our temporary, expanded catastrophe pay for any scheduled shifts over a three day period, and
then similarly use our additional benefits like sick pay, vacation pay or personal time off.
 In addition, we know the CDC and some local health authorities have advised that certain
individuals may consider taking extra precautions, for example, people who are 60 years and
older, people with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or
diabetes, people with weakened immune systems, and those who are pregnant. These partners,
should they choose to self-isolate, are also eligible for up to 14 days of catastrophe pay with a
doctor’s noted recommendation.
The CUP Fund is one more resource available to you. As you know, this fund was started by partners, for
partners to use when facing an unexpected financial hardship. Since 1998, the CUP Fund has supported
more than 28,000 partners. Every donation counts, so if you would like to help support a fellow partner
who might be impacted by COVID-19, Starbucks is matching 50 cents for every dollar you give.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and since last year, we’ve talked about
our commitment to ensuring you always have access to quality mental health care and resources. This
may be a stressful time for some, and we need to lean on one another. Take this opportunity to check in
with your partners and make sure they know about all our comprehensive partner care resources. In
addition to the above, we offer an Employee Assistance Program, which offers free counseling support
to all partners and their household members; Headspace, which can be a great resource for mindfulness
and meditation; and your leaders and the Partner Resources Support Center (PRSC) at 888-SBUX-411,
which is standing ready to help support you and find the solution that works best for your situation. And
remember, all of these resources are available for you too, because self-care is just as important during
this unpredictable time.
The COVID-19 Working Groups continue to stay close to the CDC and public health authorities. Our
protocols, for every possible scenario, as well as the proactive actions we are taking out of abundance of
caution, are all grounded in partner care, facts and science. I know, like me, you’d be very proud and
thankful for their work. We are all truly in this together.
We’ve navigated many complex, ever-changing situations in our past, here in the U.S. and around the
world, and every single time, we’ve emerged stronger because of our collective strength, resilience and
compassion. To me, that is Our Mission and Values at its best – putting our partners, customers and
communities first, and doing whatever it takes to support one another.
I am so proud to be your partner. If you need anything at all, just let us know. We are all here to help.
Warm regards,
Rossann

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Date: Mar.

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