Starbucks Corp will make voluntary matching contributions to 401(k) retirement plans for its 2009 plan year, Chief Executive Howard Schultz said in a memo to employees on Monday.

The company, known for its generous healthcare, also said its employees would be paying slightly more for their health-care coverage as the company's costs continue to rise.

The 401(k) match payment will be made when Starbucks' fiscal year concludes in late September, a Starbucks spokeswoman said.

In December, the coffee chain told employees it would not guarantee making those contributions for 2009, and that it was switching to a fully discretionary match program from a fixed employer match as of January 1.

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein, editing by Maureen Bavdek)