Starbucks Also Doesn’t Want Workplace Flexibility
In addition to the cuts, Starbucks is renewing a focus on in-person work, discouraging remote work despite its benefits for offering a flexible work environment to corporate staff.
In a section of the letter about “taking steps to bring together our North America leadership teams,” Niccol says that all “VP+ leaders in North America” will need to come into the office at least three days a week moving forward.
He also adds that “hiring for future roles will require partners to be Seattle or Toronto based, except for enterprise designated remote positions.”
This isn’t a drastic rollback, even if it does signal Starbucks intentions to limit remote roles in the future: “Generally, partners working remotely in director and below roles today will keep their remote status,” the letter reassures.
Back in October, Starbucks made a few headlines for threatening to lay off workers who didn’t return to the office, despite CEO Niccol’s remote lifestyle in his California home.
