A former Starbucks barista has opened up about why she decided quit her job.
US student Auralee Smith took to Twitter to share the text exchange between herself and her manager that she says prompted her to hand in her notice.
After nearly three years working for the coffee chain, Smith says she texted her manager to let them know she wouldn't be able to work a shift because her family dog was sadly being put down.
"I’m sorry to do this but I’m trying to find coverage for my Sunday shift. I have to put my dog down on Saturday night and I will be an absolute mess. She’s my best friend," the 21-year-old wrote.
Rather than asking her manager to find a replacement, Smith made it clear she would sort the situation out herself. "I'm just letting you know ahead of time, I’m going to text some people and see if they can help out," the text exchange reads.
However, rather than responding sympathetically, Smith's manager made it clear that she wouldn't take any excuses - and even implied she should reschedule things in line with her shift pattern.
"I’m really gonna need you to find coverage. I understand it’s a tough situation but you have plenty of notice so it’s not going to be approved if you don’t come in," the manager replied, adding: "Is there a way you could do it on a night where you don’t work the next day?"
In an interview with Insider, Smith recalled the shock she felt when she received her manager's message, telling the publication: "I read that last sentence, and I was audibly like, 'Oh. What on earth? How?' How was that the decision of what to say to me?'"
The manager's response turned out to be a breaking point for Smith.
She wrote back: "I’ll do my best to find coverage. I’m sorry this is inconvenient but it’s the family dog and she’s very sick and it’s what my family has decided to do. I can’t reschedule when I put my dog down for Starbucks."
"This is also me putting in my two weeks officially. I’ve worked for this company for 2.5 years and I appreciate what it’s done for me but I’m ready to move on," Smith added.
Talking to Insider, the former employee explained: "It just kept getting worse over my time at Starbucks that the mentality that leads to somebody asking me to change the day I put my dog to sleep."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the coffee giant - which has upwards of 15,000 stores across the US - has reacted to Smith's story by claiming that the text she screenshot did not tell the full picture. The spokesperson added that Starbucks does offer its employees personal and sick leave, and in this case, Smith never requested it, and her manager never offered it.
Insider adds that text messages shared with the publication show that the manager did express sympathy for the upsetting situation, but they also maintained that Smith would need to find someone to cover her shift.
"The health and wellbeing of our partners is and continues to be our top priority," the spokesperson said in a statement to Insider, adding: "In this instance, we were able to support this partner in getting her work covered at that time."
.jpg_klhOkr?tr=h-40&config=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)
.jpg_klhOkr?tr=h-184&config=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)
