Starbucks has warned its corporate employees that failure to comply with the company's hybrid work policy could result in dismissal. The policy requires staff to be in the office three days a week, a rule that has been in place for two years.
According to an internal message seen by the Wall Street Journal, an 'accountability process' will begin in January 2025. Consequences for non-compliance include 'up to, and including, separation', the message stated.
A Starbucks spokesperson confirmed the policy, saying: 'We are continuing to support our leaders as they hold their teams accountable to our existing hybrid work policy.' The company also announced that Tuesday will no longer be a mandatory in-office day, leaving managers to decide the best days for their teams.
The move comes as Starbucks' new CEO, Brian Niccol, faces scrutiny for commuting nearly 1,000 miles from his California home to the Seattle headquarters three times a week via corporate jet. Starbucks maintains that Niccol meets or exceeds the hybrid work requirements. Niccol, who took the role in September 2024, previously required four-day office attendance at Chipotle.
In a recent forum, Niccol emphasised the importance of in-person collaboration, stating: 'This is not a game of tracking. This is a game of winning... If success requires us being together more often than not, let's be together more often.' The policy aligns with a broader trend of companies enforcing return-to-office mandates, such as Amazon's full return-to-office rule set for January 2025.
