Introduction:Manner has recently made headlines due to its high-pressure management of employees, with many baristas reporting that they received warnings for trivial details such as a decrease in fan group membership or hair on the floor, even facing the risk of being asked to resign. How exactly do these seemingly minor rules affect frontline staff? What underlying issues lie behind this intense auditing system? This article takes an in-depth look at the full story and the current realities of the industry.
Shortly after Christmas, the well-known coffee chain Manner sparked widespread discussion for frequently issuing warning notices to its employees. Multiple frontline baristas revealed that the reasons for recent penalties have been bizarre, ranging from a decline in fan group numbers and hair found on the floor, to taking slightly too long to look at a phone during operations, or even having latte art ruined while serving coffee—all potential grounds for warnings.
According to insider sharing, during December’s Christmas period, one colleague received a “severe warning notice” directly from the company because the official fan page of their store had not met the required member count. This quickly resonated within community platforms, with many in the industry responding that they had encountered similar situations, such as taking a quick smoke or using their phone during a busy morning shift, or failing to put away tablet devices promptly at closing time—details that were captured by the headquarters’ monitoring system and listed as violations.
Further investigation revealed that Manner employs round-the-clock digital surveillance to audit store operations. Through multi-angle cameras installed in work areas, employee movements and operational processes are tracked in real time. The system automatically flags behaviors that do not meet standards, such as floor cleanliness, the placement of equipment, and even the physical gestures of staff when interacting with customers. One anonymous staff member said: “There are three all-angle surveillance cameras in the store. Although we know no one is watching 24/7, the sudden spot checks always make it hard to focus.”
The brand’s disciplinary mechanism is divided into two types: verbal warnings and written warning notices, with the latter having extremely serious consequences.According to internal regulations, accumulating one warning notice results in disqualification from promotion eligibility for that quarter, and reaching three may lead to mandatory resignation.This high-pressure management system places enormous psychological burdens on many grassroots baristas, especially during the year-end business peak when they are already expected to handle double the workload alone. The suddenly intensified auditing efforts are seen as “deliberate harassment.”
From community discussions, it can be summarized that common reasons for recent warnings include: a decrease instead of an increase in official fan page members, milk foam appearing slightly yellow affecting aesthetics, latte art being damaged during the handing over of drinks, scattered strands of hair on the floor not cleaned up immediately, and usage of tablet devices exceeding the stipulated number of seconds. Though these details may seem trivial, under the headquarters' strict quality control standards, any of them can serve as grounds for punishment.
Notably, multiple interviewees mentioned that in the past, even during busy morning and lunch rush hours when working five hours without a break, sudden warnings were rare. However, recently, during off-peak hours, they have frequently been penalized for minor flaws captured by the monitoring system. This kind of “retrospective punishment” management approach has led to a general decline in team morale.
Working under prolonged high-intensity schedules and harsh surveillance environments, frontline baristas not only face physical strain but also endure significant mental stress. Some practitioners admit that the constant tension has led to symptoms such as insomnia and anxiety. To protect their mental and physical health, many have chosen to resign voluntarily and seek other opportunities.
Industry experts point out that while coffee chains pursue standardized service, over-reliance on digital surveillance and punitive systems may instead lead to talent loss and a decline in customer experience. Striking a balance between ensuring service consistency and safeguarding employee welfare will be a key issue that Manner and similar companies urgently need to address in the future.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
