My thoughts on the Starbucks refugee hiring policy. Let me say first, I’ve never drank a cup of coffee in my life, and I’ve had maybe 5 cups of Starbucks hot chocolate in total. No dog in this fight
- Schultz of Starbucks sent out a memo to his organization saying “I am hearing the alarm you all are sounding that the civility and human rights we have all taken for granted for so long are under attack.”
- Then he said “There are more than 65 million citizens of the world recognized as refugees by the United Nations, and we are developing plans to hire 10,000 of them over five years in the 75 countries around the world where Starbucks does business. And we will start this effort here in the U.S. by making the initial focus of our hiring efforts on those individuals who have served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel in the various countries where our military has asked for such support. “
It’s obvious Schultz is not fond of the current administration’s policies and wants to rally his employees behind his own cause.
Ok so does he have a right to do this?
Absolutely. He can speak his mind and as long as he doesn’t threaten employees with job dismissal if they disagree with his views, he’s probably ok.
We all (should) have a right to hire and fire who we want. That’s free enterprise.
By the way, to be fair… In 2013 Starbucks set a goal to hire 10,000 veterans by 2018. See statement here.
Corporations And Their Causes
Big companies have causes these days. It’s what rallies their customers into loyal fans. Starbucks gambled that their primarily yuppie (cum adult) audience is mostly liberal leaning and that their employees are too.
I could pitch a fit about this if I felt inclined to do so, but I’m not a Starbucks customer. I’m not sure how many Trump supporters are. We shall see.
Still… I’m not convinced that the proposed action itself (hiring refugees with a preference to those who serviced the US military) is bad.
Who Are These Refugees?
Not all refugees are radical Islamic. Some are Christians. Some fought for freedom from tyrannical sects of Islam beside Americans. If Starbucks wants to be charitable and hire them, that’s their prerogative. That’s fewer people on the dole. Fewer people sitting around creating mischief.
And it’s your prerogative not to buy from Starbucks if this is a sore spot for you. Free country and how it should work.
Where Are These Jobs?
Do note that we are talking about world wide hiring and I’m not convinced this is taking vast numbers of American jobs.
This is scarcity thinking and one of our biggest problems in this country/world — believing that there is a finite supply of jobs.
The fact is that the more people we employ (as producers, not bureaucrats) the more buyers there are and the more our economy grows and the more jobs there are.
Let’s let President Trump work on the free enterprise of our country, reduce regulation, and foster new business. Then let companies LEGALLY hire whoever they want.
The consumers can decide whether corporate causes are so offensive that they don’t want to patronize them.
But let’s at least be fair and read what those companies are really saying and doing before we pass judgment. Let’s not be like those who blindly follow the crowd and the media. Let’s think for ourselves and decide.