A Starbucks barista shared a video of themself becoming emotional over their working hours.

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Starbucks Employee Breaks Down In Tears After They’re Scheduled To Work Eight Hours

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23:54 17 August 2023

Updated: 17:01 29 May 2025


A Starbucks barista shared a video of themself becoming emotional over their working hours.

The worker, who is also a full-time student, was apparently given a 25-hour work week, including eight-hour shifts during the weekend.

In a viral clip, they shared their thoughts on management and unpleasant customers.

It’s since been shared by far-right Trump supporter Sebastian Gorka on X (formerly Twitter), who mockingly tweeted: “Trans Barrister has meltdown because 8 hours is too long to work on a day…”

Gorka’s cruel post, which is also being trolled for its embarrassing typo, has led to many calling the Starbucks employee spoilt, while others have defended them.

Upset Starbucks employee.
The Starbucks employee broke down over being scheduled to work eight hours. Credit: @SebGorka/X

“My husband normally works 70 hours a week and was it hard, yes but he still did it,” one person commented. “This kid needs to learn what hard work is otherwise they won’t be able to make it.”

Another added in agreement: “Oh cry me a river. I drove a truck for 35 years. 12-14 hours a day. Sometimes gone for a month at a time.

“Suck it up buttercup.”

Others have defended the barista, arguing it’s difficult to do an eight-hour shift alongside educational studies.

A sympathetic viewer wrote: “They’re allowed to be frustrated at Starbucks and their crappy manager not pulling their weight.

“People keep bringing up their eight-hour shifts but working a job on top of being a full-time student would be tiring. They’re having a vent, so what?”

While a second pointed out: “Wow, you are so brave for bullying a young service worker.

“A full-time college student is expected to do 2-3 hours of homework per every class hour. So if this kiddo is in class 15 hours a week, has 30 hours of homework, and then 25 hours of work that is a 70-hour week.”

Upset Starbucks employee
The Starbucks barista says they are at their ‘wits’ end’ with the job. Credit: @SebGorka/X

In the clip, the barista said in addition to the alleged treatment from management, their work has left them at their ‘wits’ end’ and they’re struggling to cope.

“I’m a full-time student, I get scheduled for 25 hours a week. And then on weekends, they scheduled me the entire day, open to close, that one’s scheduled for eight and half hours, both Saturday and Sunday,” they explained. “I’m three and a half hours into my shift.”

The barista added: “There’s so many customers and we have four people on the floor all day. Only five people were put on schedule and somebody had to call out.”

They claimed managers ‘don’t care about us,’ and ‘don’t want to help us,’ while also saying customers can be rude and misgender them.

“I don’t get accommodation for being neurodivergent, people get mad at me for having too much sick time,” they alleged. “I don’t even know what to do anymore, I’m at my wits’ end with this job.”

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