A Starbucks employee in upstate New York claims she was denied furlough and compensation after suffering second-degree burns at work – and she suspects it could be retaliation for her efforts to unionize the store .
Julia, who works at the East Robinson Starbucks location in Buffalo, New York, said she was recently working as a shift supervisor when hot water spilled on her and severely burned her.
She claims she was only able to get a single day off – and had to use vacation time – and was denied more sick days or compensation for her injury.
According to a GoFundMe page, she and other store employees recently requested a union vote, with Julia serving as a “key member of the organizing committee.”
Her colleagues believe the store’s treatment of Julia is part of a “campaign” to “force union leaders to quit”.
Julia, who works at the East Robinson Starbucks location in Buffalo, New York, was recently working as a shift supervisor when hot water splashed all over her
She suffered second-degree burns on her foot and ‘can’t even put shoes on’
Julia’s story was posted by the TikTok account SBWorkersUnited, which supports Starbucks workers’ unionization efforts.
In the clip, Julia sits at a table in a Starbucks and tells what happened when she closed the shop as a shift manager last Thursday evening.
She said she noticed a coffee pot that had already been cleaned being cleaned again, so she went to get it, not realizing it was open and filled with hot water.
“I doused myself in hot water and it burned my foot,” she said. “I was wearing safety shoes but I still burned my foot and got second degree burns on my toes and the whole side of my left foot.”
Despite her injury at work, she said, “I had to go back to work immediately.”
She could only cancel one day and had to use one of her sick days.
Additionally, she said, she reported an incident but received no compensation, “nor has my manager responded to me, my call, or my text message regarding my incident.”
“I haven’t seen or heard from her since [from] her since it happened,” she said. “It’s Monday now, next week, and I’m still at work, and I’ve still been working, and my foot has deteriorated from work.
Only one day off was granted and she had to take one sick day; She says she was also denied compensation and her manager did not call her back
According to her colleagues, her shop recently applied for a union vote, with Julia serving as a “vital member of the organizing committee.” They believe the store’s treatment of Julia is part of a “campaign” to “force union leaders to quit”.
“I just need some help because I’ve run out of sick time to use and they’re basically forcing me to work with the condition I’m in. And I can’t even put shoes on,” she said.
Julia’s staff started a GoFundMe page for her, writing that Julia was “denied time off, compensation to recover properly and any support from management”.
“Our shop recently requested a union vote, with Julia as one of our key members of the organizing committee,” they wrote.
“Starbucks has engaged in a very public campaign to try to force union leaders to leave and we believe this treatment of Julia is part of that pattern.
“As Julia’s partners, we are asking for public support and assistance to help Julia get the medical care and downtime she needs.”
In the state of New York, employers are required to pay insurance for workers’ compensation claims. Workers can make claims, which must be paid if the “employer or insurance carrier agrees that the injury or illness is work-related” — regardless of who is at fault.
has reached out to a Starbucks spokesman for comment.