Starbucks employees work hard to serve customers delicious coffee and food every day. Like any job, Starbucks employees are concerned about their pay and benefits. One common question Starbucks employees have is what days they get paid extra or holiday pay. In this article, we’ll break down when Starbucks employees receive additional holiday pay.
How Often Do Starbucks Employees Get Paid?
Starbucks employees are paid on a biweekly schedule, every other Friday. This means there are 26 pay periods in a year. Payday falls on the Friday following the end of a 2 week pay period.
For example, if the pay period is September 1st through September 14th, payday would be Friday, September 19th.
Do Starbucks Employees Get Paid Extra on Holidays?
Yes, Starbucks does pay employees extra for working on select major holidays. The Starbucks holiday pay policy states:
| Holiday | Pay Rate |
| New Year’s Day | Time and a half |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Time and a half |
| Easter Sunday | Time and a half |
| Memorial Day | Time and a half |
| Juneteenth (June 19th) | Time and a half |
| Independence Day (July 4th) | Time and a half |
| Labor Day | Time and a half |
| Thanksgiving Day | Time and a half |
| Christmas Day | Time and a half |
As you can see, Starbucks offers time and a half pay for working on major federal holidays. This means employees are paid 1.5 times their normal hourly wage.
For example, if an employee’s regular pay rate is $12 per hour, they would make $18 per hour on a holiday.
Are There Any Other Days Starbucks Employees Get Extra Pay?
Yes, Starbucks also offers some additional days where employees can earn premium pay:
| Day | Pay Rate |
| Mother’s Day | Time and a half |
| Father’s Day | Time and a half |
| Christmas Eve | Double time |
| New Year’s Eve | Double time |
As you can see, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve offer premium pay opportunities. Employees earn time and a half on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
And on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, employees are paid double time. This means employees earn 2 times their regular hourly wage for working these days.
What About Red Cup Day?
Red Cup Day is the exciting unofficial holiday when Starbucks releases their holiday cup designs. It creates a festive atmosphere and keeps employees busy.
Unfortunately, Red Cup Day is not an official holiday at Starbucks. Employees do not get extra pay or holiday pay rates on Red Cup Day. It is treated like any other day.
However, many Starbucks locations do celebrate Red Cup Day by decorating and having fun giveaways for customers. So it can be a lively day for employees even without the holiday pay bonus.
Conclusion
While not every busy day translates into extra pay, Starbucks does offer holiday pay on major federal holidays and select other peak days. Qualifying days where employees can earn time and a half or double time pay include:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Easter Sunday
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Christmas Eve
- New Year’s Eve
Knowing when these holiday paydays fall can help Starbucks employees plan their budgets and schedules around earning extra holiday pay.