Would You Moonlight at Starbucks to Get Health Insurance?

Ins Def 08 Grad
Sep 29, 2008 3:07 PM CST

Being a lawyer means my dayjob’s hours aren’t predictable enough for a flex-sched retail place like SB, but I am currently considering tutoring, overnight baking delivery and room service as possibilities - and not just for insurance.  I need the $$.

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Rebecca
Oct 3, 2008 6:02 AM CST

Out of curiosity I did a quick search and it appears that starbucks does not offer insurance until you have worked there 3 months, and then you need to maintain 240 hours every quarter or they will drop you (30+ hours a week).  I don’t understand why Starbucks is always the example of good health insurance (Suzie Orman uses it as an example too).  Too bad we can’t “moonlight” at microsoft - I hear they have an amazing policy.

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Trump
Oct 3, 2008 6:51 AM CST

I’m not sure I understand this poll question.  Does it presume that lawyers who work long hours for firms do not get health insurance?  Or is it asking if lawyers who work long hours at firms didn’t receive health insurance as a benefit, would they moonlight to get insurance?  Is it aimed at solo practitioners and small firms?  The question doesn’t seem well thought out.  But, presuming I know what it is they are asking, I would moonlight to get health insurance no matter what my day job was.  I think the better question is why would you stay at your day job if it didn’t provide such a basic benefit (unless the pay was outstanding, in which case you could afford private health insurance, no?).

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Gul Dukatja
Oct 3, 2008 7:40 AM CST

Seriously, why isn’t there a simple “yes” answer? I worked as a salesperson through all of undergrad and law school, being a barista wouldn’t be that different and isn’t particularly embarrassing.

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tricia
Oct 3, 2008 7:58 AM CST

Where’s the simple “yes” option?  If I had no insurance, and I could moonlight, I would do it whether people knew me or not, so my kids could get healthcare.

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buffin
Oct 3, 2008 8:03 AM CST

Being an attorney is, at the heart of it, about helping people.  Working at Starbucks is another way of serving people.  If I were not working as many hours as I am, I’d love to do it - not only for the health insurance, but also for the adoption credit SB offers - not to mention the free drinks!

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Starving Lawyer
Oct 3, 2008 8:28 AM CST

Not Starbucks, but probably REI.  Not only do they offer benefits for minimal hours, but I’d get to spend my paycheck on kayaking and climbing equipment.

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Rebecca M. Coufal
Oct 3, 2008 9:13 AM CST

my answer is not there.  get a policy with a really high deductable which covers everthing after the deductable is paid (single iproblem) and pay for checkups etc. yourself.  way cheaper.

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Adam
Oct 3, 2008 9:24 AM CST

I voted #4 because of the cost-benefit ratio.  But I cringe with recognition at what Susan says (comment 11) - in my big city people in her shoes abound, and their numbers are growing fast.  I’m a solo with a healthy family whose Oxford premium skyrocketed to $2100 per month - solely because they can do that - before I dropped it.  Thank goodness my work (contingency fee claims against insureds) qualifies for Freelancers Union group health coverage.  Their health insurance is why they are now one of the five largest unions in my state, and growing fast in many states.  More such affinity groups need to be created, if we can’t get the Federal government to enact a plan that makes all of America one big qualifying group.

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Karen Lipney
Oct 3, 2008 10:14 AM CST

Your question assumes that we need health insurance.  I don’t - I work for a union that provides good benefits.  But to answer the question, there’s nothing embarrassing about working as a barista - no one should have to apologize or be embarrassed about working hard at any job.  If I needed health insurance, I’d do any job.

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Catherine
Oct 3, 2008 10:32 AM CST

I have always been the health insurance provider in my family, since my husband has always been self-employed.  I recently took an “of counsel” position for personal reasons.  After going through hell trying to find an affordable but decent plan to replace my expiring and very expensive Cobra insurance, including being advised not to apply for every medically-underwritten policy out there (even the ones I couldn’t afford), I was ready to moonlight almost anywhere that had group health insurance (although, while I have nothing against Starbucks per se, I would have looked for a desk job). I’m still keeping my fingers crossed until I receive confirmation that the supposedly “guaranteed acceptance” policy for the self-employed that I finally found has actually gone into effect.

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CB
Oct 4, 2008 7:02 AM CST

I plan on working part-time at Wal-Mart through the holidays for the employee discount.

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Justin M. Johnson
Oct 4, 2008 3:07 PM CST

I agree with No. 7.  I am a retired intermediate appellate judge, age 75, with a lovely wife, age 73..  Why did you not have an option for an unqualified “Yes”?  I was raised to take care of my family.  I see no embarrassment in working at SB in front of my friends, if that was necessary to insure health bnenefits.

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Prof. P J GAMMARANO
Oct 7, 2008 3:57 AM CST

Dear readers,
      With all the commentary about other occupations, it is something for the general public to realize that the tuition dagger hangs over the heads of students in every academic discipline (not an oxymoron), and that there is no shame in doing other forms of respectable & hoonest work.  One’s credibility in Law would tend to go up, not down, if one’s personal time permitted other forms of work.
      I particularly appreciated the comment from the person who would find reward in repairing roads again, as the value to the community is, to quote the credit card company, “priceless” in worth.

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