Working at Starbucks has many benefits and is a good choice as a starting job for teenagers or for anyone looking for part-time or flexible work.
Therefore, if you’re thinking of applying for a job at Starbucks, you may be wondering what the shift hours are, how they are scheduled, and how much flexibility you have in deciding your hours. If you’d like to find out, keep reading to learn what I found out!
Starbucks Shift Hours
Starbucks shift hours can vary from 4 to 8 hours, depending on staffing needs at each location. Shifts are scheduled by the Shift Supervisor, Store Manager, or Assistant Manager and are usually very flexible, taking your preferences and needs into account. Also, the exact timings of the shifts also vary according to the opening and closing times for each location.
If you have more questions about typical timings for opening, closing, and midday shifts, flexible scheduling, and other topics, carry on reading to find out the answers!
What Hours Do Starbucks Employees Work?
In general, you will have a lot of flexibility in the number of hours you work each week, as well as which shifts you will be assigned at Starbucks.
When applying at Starbucks initially, hours and availability will be one of the topics discussed at your job interview.
The schedules are set and posted by the Store Manager, Assistant Manager, or Shift Supervisor three weeks in advance and are based on the staffing needs for that location and your availability.
Unless the Starbucks location you work at is a very busy or understaffed store, you should generally always be able to get the hours and shifts you request.
Starbucks employees can work part-time or full-time, as there is always a need for both types of workers.
Part-time at Starbucks is defined as 25 hours a week or less, and full-time is defined at Starbucks as 30- 40 hours a week.
Since many Starbucks store employees are often teenagers working their first jobs, or students looking for part-time work that fits around their class schedules, shifts are flexible to accommodate their needs.
How Long Is a Typical Starbucks Shift?
Like the number of hours you work every week, shift lengths can vary from one location to another and also depend on staffing needs and your availability.
Typical Starbucks shifts can be anywhere from four to eight hours (however, workers are required to work at least 3 hours per shift).
Additionally, shifts can be scheduled any time from half an hour before opening to half an hour after closing.
Shifts are scheduled by the Shift Supervisor, Store Manager, or Assistant Manager based on the number of employees available at different times, employees’ preferences, and how busy the store gets during the day.
As well, employees working an 8-hour shift get an unpaid half-hour break for lunch and two paid ten-minute breaks during the day.
What Is the Shortest Shift at Starbucks?
The shortest shift at Starbucks is three hours (though you will usually be scheduled for four hours at minimum), and the longest shifts are nine hours.
However, Shift Supervisors and managers will often work overtime hours up to 12 hours for a shift if a store is understaffed or they are settling a prolonged issue in the store.
What Are Typical Starbucks Shift Hours?
Starbucks shift hours depend on a number of factors, like staffing needs, availability, and how busy the store gets.
Shift hours also depend on store opening and closing times, which are decided by the Store Manager.
The Shift Supervisor assigns shifts for the week, typically up to three weeks in advance. Shift Supervisors usually have a lot of flexibility in scheduling and will take into account your preferences.
There are usually three shifts during the day – opening, midday, and closing, and busy locations might have two midday shifts.
You can find some details about actual shifts from answers posted by baristas on the job site Indeed.com. However, Typical shift hours are as follows:
- Opening/ Morning: 4.30 or 7.30 am to 12 or 3 pm
- Mid-day Shift: 9 or noon to 3 or 8 pm
- Evening/ Closing Shift: 4 or 5.30 pm to 11.30 pm
For stores that open earlier, the shift hours would be:
- Opening/ Morning Shift: 4 am to1 pm
- Midday Shift: 8 am to 4 pm
- Evening Shift: 3 pm to 11 pm
What Are Mid-Day Shift Hours at Starbucks?
Midday shift hours can vary at different Starbucks stores for a number of reasons, such as the number of employees available to work and how busy a particular location gets.
A busy store location will have more midday shifts than a quieter one and might have two midday shifts.
The schedule with two midday shifts might look like this:
- Afternoon shift: 11 am – 5 pm
- Late afternoon shift: 1 pm – 7 pm
What Is a Shift Supervisor at Starbucks?
The Shift Supervisor is in charge of scheduling and running shifts, as well as leading the store team operations.
The Shift Supervisor is a leadership role that requires one year of experience in customer service in a retail or restaurant setting. New and entry-level workers report to the Shift Supervisor and are under their tutelage during the probationary period.
Since Starbucks usually promotes internally, many Shift Supervisors have started out as baristas and understand the needs of anyone in an entry-level job.
Does Starbucks Offer Flexible Hours?
Starbucks offers flexible hours and is balanced about needing to change your shifts, as long as you let your Store Manager, Assistant Manager, or Shift Supervisor know three weeks ahead before new schedules are posted.
Sometimes, if a store is understaffed, the scheduling may not always be able to accommodate all employees’ preferred shifts.
However, the person in charge of scheduling will usually put their best foot forward to ensure that your work schedule fits around your classes, school work, and other commitments.
Does Starbucks Do 4 Hour Shifts?
Starbucks schedules four-hour shifts quite regularly for part-time workers and often makes up weekly schedules of four hours per shift for new hires.
Usually, four hours is the minimal amount of time an employee will be scheduled for per shift. However, the shortest shift that can be scheduled is three hours, though this rarely occurs.
What Are the Minimum Hours I Can Work at Starbucks Per Week?
The minimum hours you can work in a week at Starbucks are decided by the Store Manager, though your preferences are taken into account.
Store Managers are usually very flexible and understanding about scheduling hours. However, in general, anything less than 12 hours per week is not practical from the point of view of maintaining continuity.
To learn more about Starbucks, you can also see our posts on whether or not Starbucks conducts drug tests, whether Starbucks hires at 14, and why Starbucks is so expensive.
