Starbucks Canada is raising wages and benefits amid “critical staffing shortages” and a renewed commitment to the well-being of its workers.
Beginning in January 2022, the company says its starting wages will be increased to a dollar above provincial minimums, while workers who’ve been with the company a year will receive a six to 10 per cent pay hike.
The wage boost, which will impact about 20,000 workers, will bring the hourly pay for baristas to between $13 and $20.45, depending on location and tenure, while shift supervisors will earn between $15.85 and $24.95.
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Starbucks also says it’s providing every hourly worker in Canada with three paid shifts off per calendar year for sick days or family care, along with ongoing perks such as free coffee, a subscription to a meditation app and health and dental care.
The higher wages and benefits come as the coffee company says it’s added recruiting specialists to address “critical staffing shortages and difficulties” in some markets. It’s also investing in additional training and new technologies and processes to improve day-to-day tasks in its coffee shops.
This latest news follows an announcement this spring when the coffee chain said it was raising its starting barista rate to $0.25 above provincial minimum wages starting May 31. At that time, it also announced it was giving staff three temporary paid sick days from April 19 to Sept. 25. And earlier this year, it also introduced a pandemic relief grant of up to $500 for employees facing financial hardship and extended self-isolation pay through the fourth quarter of 2021.
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