Hot on the heels of its "Red Cups" controversy, which triggered widespread criticism from Christian groups, Starbucks has announced a series of new veterans perks as part of the Seattle-based company's corporate social responsibility program.
Together with a pledge to hire more military personnel, Starbucks also reiterated its dedication to fostering higher education for military families, offering a 100 percent tuition coverage benefit to families of veterans and military reservists who work for the company at least 20 hours a week, according to Business Administration Information News.
The benefits are offered in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), and so far, it has proven successful, with 63 percent of new hires showing interest in the program and more than 4,800 employees currently being enrolled.
Apart from the education benefits, military personnel are also given 80 hours of paid leave for service obligations that cause employees to miss work for two weeks every year.
Though Starbucks is a known supporter of U.S. troops, the timing of the veteran perks announcement seems strategic for the company, which has come under fire for its removal of Christmas-related imagery on its traditional holiday cups. With the announcement of veteran perks, the company seems to be courting the conservative demographic which it affronted with the ubiquitous Red Cups, reports Breitbart.
Howard Shultz, the CEO of the company, states that its perks for veterans serve the country in general.
"We have a responsibility as a nation to honor our veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice, but it goes beyond saying thank you - we must put our thanks into action and collectively help those who are making the transition from military to civilian life," he said.
