When laid off, employees often change jobs and find another employer. Some come back after fixing the issues that caused their dismissal. One of her former Starbucks employees said she was fired from her coffee chain on three separate occasions, sharing the experience on her TikTok.
In a series of videos, user Alicia (@meowmixalicia) says she was first fired from her job at Starbucks after a series of illness absences.
“I have quite a few medical issues, so I basically got sick and kept getting sick,” she says in the video.
@meowmixalicia not real name <3 #Starbucks #dismissal # Making money #gettingrich #curly hair #story time #car talk #talktok ♬ Original Sound – Alicia
After calling the district manager about the situation, Alicia says she got a job at another store and things are much better for her. But she says the manager at this new location didn’t like her either.
At one point, Alicia claimed that a cut on her hand had become infected, and after a fever-driven visit to the hospital, she learned she was in the early stages of possible sepsis. She said she had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics the hospital gave her to fight the disease.
@meowmixalicia thank you #Starbucks #dismissal #story time #Igotfire #star beads #curly hair #car talk #story time #gettingrich ♬ Original Sound – Alicia
This time, when she returned to work, she was fired for inconsistent attendance, she says.
“It may sound insane to literally be in a hospital with a hospital note and potentially get fired for all the ordeal, but technically it’s an inconsistent She was allowed to do that because she was placed under attendance,” she says.
Ultimately, she said she was glad she was fired from the store.
Alicia has yet to share her story of being fired from Starbucks three times, but the Daily Dot reached out to TikToker via direct message on Instagram about the video. She also reached out to Starbucks via her email.
Viewers sympathized with Alicia, with some suggesting that the reason she was able to return to work was because the company knew it was wrong. federal labor law It may prevent employers from firing sick employees, but it’s unclear if Alicia works of her own free will.
“The reason you keep getting your job back is because they know it was wrong for them to fire you,” wrote one commenter. Even if they have a note and a timestamp they claim you missed, they could be in big trouble for the FMLA Act and the ADA.”
“You should read your partner’s handbook and be aware of what you can and can’t do if you get sick. You don’t have to look for insurance,” said another. “If they fired you for being sick, you could take it up to OSHA and they could get into serious trouble with it. Plus you would have been compensated. “
A third user added, “I can’t believe they got away with firing you twice for medical reasons.”
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*First published: February 6, 2023 at 12:44 PM CST
Brooke Schoberg
Brooke Sjoberg is a freelance writer for the Daily Dot. She graduated in 2020 with a BA in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.