Starbucks is bucking the trend again.
According to a report out of Reuter's this week, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz made it clear his company would not cut hours, benefits or workers in response to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
"Other companies have announced that they won't provide coverage for spouses; others are lobbying for the cut-off to be at 40 hours. But Starbucks will continue maintaining benefits for partners and won't use the new law as excuse to cut benefits or lower benefits for its workers," Schultz told Reuters in a phone interview.
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(It's worth noting, as everyone seems to when it comes to the ubiquitous coffee seller, that the chain spends more on benefits than it does on coffee — to the tune of $300 million in 2010. Keep in mind, this is the rare company that offers benefits to employees working as few as 20 hours a week.)
For one reason or another, this made headlines this week. Maybe it's because of a media crush on Starbucks, as a colleague of mine suggested; maybe it's because the story itself is the polar opposite of every other Obamacare-type tale that seems to hit the wires (see UPS and Delta Airlines).
The left — in the form of those hawkers over at Huffington Post — have already touted the company, and specifically Schultz — as someone kind of proletariat champion, fighting for what's right and fair. While those on the right already have criticized the company, with boycotts almost certainly sure to follow.
Even our site couldn't help but proclaim the company's "embrace" of Obamacare.
But the simple fact of the matter is this: The company made headlines for doing the same thing it's always done. Despite the law, they will continue to do business as usual. Schultz didn't embrace anything aside from his own employees. Does he deserve praise? I guess. Does he deserve criticism now? Not if he didn't before, because, again, nothing's changed as far as Starbucks is concerned.
One other thing: Employee benefits are something deeply personal to this particular CEO. During his 60 Minutes interview years ago, he recounted the story of his father getting hurt on the job, then being cast aside, shoving the family into poverty. He's never forgotten that.
"We will never turn our backs on this benefit for our people," he told CBS in the interview.
So this isn't some political message so much as it is a personal, moral crusade. Why can't the guys just run his business the way he wants and let the market be the judge instead of a bunch of talking heads?
Now if I could just get in that separate line for those of us who just want a simple cup of joe…
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