For anyone that knows me, they know that I live off of coffee. I've grown to love iced vanilla with cream, the classic Frappuccinos, and the wonderful happy hour so I can actually afford the great caffeine. When I was younger, I got my very first taste of coffee at the well-known Starbucks and I've happily enjoyed it ever since. Of course, I know that my grandpa only needs a regular cup of joe and thinks that the coffee I get is just way too fancy...and maybe it is, I don't argue with that, but that always seems to be the attitude of every older person I meet when it comes to coffee.
I began to think that all Baby Boomers hated "fancier" coffee. Or maybe they thought that everyone was ruining black coffee with no sweetness at all, like how we "ruin" everything else, right?
Wrong!
After receiving some backlash for the supposed discrimination against older workers, Starbucks recently began to hire more senior citizens (ages 55-66) as a way to show that they're open to any kind of person, regardless of age. The very first location ran by an entire senior staff was opened in Mexico City, where they have also hired some younger workers to learn from the wise. Before the location opened though, younger employees from different branches were asked to come in and teach the new workers how things were done properly. The older staff were very praising of their younger teachers, but mutual respect had been created over the training process.
All positions and work duties are adapted to fit older employees' needs - shifts never go longer than six and a half hours and the store shelves are placed lower so things are easier to reach. Things are really being taken care of to make sure the working environment made every employee comfortable!
Starbucks and the National Institute for the elderly want this to be a step forward for those who may be older but still, want to try new things in life, or want to still work. The coffee company hopes to hire 120 more senior staff before the end of 2018.
But wouldn't they be miserable and tired all of the time?
Wrong again!
When commenting about the workplace, older employees said they actually enjoyed working, even if they're older. And it's not only the staff that is being affected positively, but customers also enjoy seeing that people of all ages are given a chance to work and it's even increased some of the customers' moods. Personally, I know how this feels. At school, I work at the bowling alley and during the midafternoon shifts, I get a visit from one of our campus security guards who's obviously in his older years. When I asked him why he was still working, he said that he didn't want to at first, but grew to enjoy that he still had a "sense of purpose instead of sitting around as some people do in retirement."
While I know that not all people sit around, it's always nice to see his smile or hear his stories whenever he comes to visit.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though it's believed that Baby Boomers dislike us Millenials, it seems that work can bring us to the same level and we can get along...for the most part.
