Starbucks said it will give
If a store is open but a barista can't work because they've been displaced from their home, "we are temporarily offering catastrophe pay for any missed shifts while we work to understand their situation," Starbucks spokesperson Sam Jefferies said in response to an inquiry from Bloomberg News.
Starbucks declined to say when it implemented the measure or for how long baristas can claim catastrophe pay. The company had offered the
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Starbucks Workers United, the union representing about 500 of the chain's more than 10,000 company-operated stores, said it had earlier received complaints from baristas who'd been displaced and weren't getting paid if they couldn't show up to work. The company declined to comment on the union's allegations.
The coffee chain said it immediately closes stores in evacuation zones, reopening when authorities say it's safe. Data provider Scrape Hero says there are 140 stores in Los Angeles, according to 2024 data. Starbucks declined to disclose the number of locations it has in the city.
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"If we close a store, partners are being paid," Jefferies said. "We're working with partners who have been displaced to give them the resources they need, too."
Workers in areas where it's safe to do so are making coffee and delivering it first responders, as well as serving food, the company said.
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The Palisades and Eaton fires have killed at least 24 people. More than 8 million in the area face critical fire weather in the coming days, and more than 92,000 residents were under evacuation orders as of Monday night.
