What Manner Shift Cancellations Reveal About Coffee Store Staffing

Multiple Manner part-time employees say shifts they had already selected were canceled at the last minute, with stores citing sufficient staffing, and some were stood up several times in a row. Full-time staff report schedules adjusted by how busy a store is, with long continuous shifts at peak times and cut hours when trade slows.

Analysts suggest that because part-time hourly wages are higher than full-time ones while the work leans toward packing and cleaning, stores may squeeze part-time positions to control labor costs. Manner has not officially responded. The scheduling problems are discouraging young people who had wanted to join the company.

Recently, multiple Manner part-time employees have reported on social media that their originally selected shifts were canceled at the last minute by stores citing sufficient staffing, with some even being stood up several times in a row. At the same time, some full-time employees have also revealed that stores adjust shifts arbitrarily based on how busy they are—arranging long continuous shifts during peak times and cutting hours during slow periods. Some analysts believe that since part-time hourly wages are higher than full-time ones but the work leans toward packing and cleaning, stores may prefer to squeeze part-time positions in order to control labor costs. As of now, Manner has not officially responded to this matter, and this series of scheduling chaos is chilling many young people who were interested in joining.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

In the eyes of many customers who regularly buy coffee at Manner, the staffing behind the bar at these stores has never seemed particularly sufficient. During morning rush hours or afternoon tea periods, Manner employees spin nonstop behind the bar like tops.

Some kind-hearted customers, seeing employees so busy they barely have a moment to stand still, feel both helpless and sympathetic to the hardships of fellow workers, so they stop urging them on—and by the time they get their coffee, more than half an hour has already passed.

Because of this, posts speaking up for Manner employees have been appearing one after another on social media, calling on stores to increase staffing. That way, customers wouldn't have to wait half an hour in agony during peak hours just to get a coffee, and employees would have enough time to catch their breath, rather than having to race against a timer even to use the restroom.

Perhaps Manner's management noticed these consumer feedbacks, because during this year's winter break, the brand released quite a few store part-time positions, extending an olive branch to young people interested in part-time work and attracting a group of college students who wanted both to experience working at a coffee shop and to earn some pocket money to go for interviews.

However, recently a Manner part-time employee posted that they had already chosen their work shifts, but right before their shift was about to start, they received a call from the store manager saying the store already had enough staff and didn't need part-timers for the time being, so the shift was canceled. They thought this was just an isolated incident, but over the next few part-time shifts, they were canceled by other stores one after another. The part-time employee, left with no shifts to work, complained that Manner stores "stand people up again and again—it's so disrespectful!"

It's not just part-time employees whose shifts get canceled. Some current full-time employees say that when their store isn't busy, full-time shifts get cut, and when it is busy, several long continuous shifts are arranged. In other words, whether full-time or part-time, as long as the store manager thinks the store has enough staff, they can arbitrarily change employees' schedules.

In addition, some part-time employees complain that they had worked at the store for several days, got along well with other full-time staff, and made no mistakes in their work, but a few days later were suddenly told they were "not a good overall fit," whereupon all their shifts were canceled and they were told not to come back to work.

Some netizens analyze that Manner part-time employees' work leans toward packing and cleaning and doesn't require making drinks, yet their hourly wage is higher than that of full-time employees. Therefore, store managers may feel that part-time employees' overall cost-effectiveness is not as good as full-time employees, and in order to reduce labor costs, they use reasons like "not a good overall fit" or "poor performance" to keep them from working.

On the other hand, Manner employees also reveal that if the store manager is satisfied with a part-time employee's performance, it may lead to full-time employees' hours being cut; if the manager is dissatisfied, it may lead to the part-time employee losing their job.

Currently, Manner has not made any response to the matter of part-time employees having their shifts inexplicably canceled. Some part-time employees say that while Manner's full-time employees are spinning around busily behind the bar, part-time employees who want to work have no shifts to work—showing just how arbitrary and chaotic store staffing management is. This also chills the hearts of workers who held aspirations for Manner, and will only keep discouraging young people who want to join Manner.

Image source: Internet

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet, and some content on the website, such as images, will be credited to the original source with respect for the original copyright. However, due to the large volume, there may be个别 images and texts that have not yet been credited in time; please forgive us. If the original author has any disputes, they can contact the website for handling, and once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop"; please indicate the source when reposting. If there is any infringement, please inform us for removal. Thank you~!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.