All employees of Starbucks
When it comes to eligibility for part-time employees (or "partners," as Starbucks refers to all its employees), benefits will become available after these workers log "at least 240 total hours over a three-consecutive-month-period," which comes to roughly 20 hours per week.
The company made the decision to expand mental health benefits following survey feedback received from approximately 200,000 employees.
"Partners were saying that there's more we could do as a company to help them around the topic of mental health and well being," said Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson to Fast Company. "As a leadership team, we said, 'Let's figure out what we can do.'"
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 20% of adults in the U.S. will experience a mental illness each year, while only 40% of those individuals will receive treatment. Considering that as much as $1 trillion is lost each year due to decreased worker productivity related to depression and anxiety, two of the leading mental illnesses, the cost to businesses may end up being too great not to act in support of mental health.
"We are constantly listening to our partners and exploring new ways to enhance the innovative benefits we offer to support them and their families," Johnson said in a statement. "Mental health is a fundamental part of our humanity and these resources will make a meaningful difference in people's lives and help break the stigma around this complex issue."
In addition to expanding mental health care benefits, Starbucks has an online forum where over 5,000 Starbucks employees contribute to conversations related to mental health. The company also offers employees free subscriptions to the meditation-themed smartphone app Headspace and has partnered with the veteran-focused Team Rubicon and Lady Gaga's nonprofit Born This Way Foundation in support of worker mental health and quality of life.
- https://www.fastcompany.com/90476917/starbucks-employees-in-the-u-s-can-get-up-to-20-therapy-sessions
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/ruthumoh/2020/03/16/starbucks-expands-mental-health-benefits-offers-therapy-to-all-us-workers/#69eb475a7698
- https://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/d92383f7c65c474bb2e3f6b7d0219d68.pdf