When new Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol took over in September, he stirred up a lot of controversy. One of them was that Niccol would travel about 1,000 miles a day from California to Starbucks headquarters in Seattle. Now, he’s stirring up controversy again.
Starbucks tightens regulations with employees
The F&B giant requires office workers to work a hybrid schedule of remote and in-office work at least three days a week. Mr. Niccol stressed that Starbucks will not specify which days employees must come into the office. However, that does not mean employees can avoid the three-day work week rule.
As first reported by Bloomberg News on November 18, an internal memo was sent to the entire company, emphasizing Starbucks’ stricter stance on working from the office, effective January 2025.
The Wall Street Journal revealed more details about the notice, saying employees will face an “accountability process” that will take effect in 2025. Employees who fail to comply with the policy risk serious consequences, “including termination,” the notice said.
“We continue to support our managers in ensuring their teams adhere to our hybrid work policy,” the company said in a statement on November 18, according to Bloomberg .
Last week, it was reported that Publicis Media had fired nearly 100 employees in the US for repeatedly ignoring the company’s three-day-a-week office work policy.
“We have been clear and consistent in our policy that employees work in the office at least three days a week,” a Publicis Media US spokesperson said.
“We should meet as often as possible”
New CEO Brian Niccol has been vocal about the need for in-person work, though he hasn’t increased the number of days employees are required to be present.
“My view is that we should see each other as much as possible,” he said in a speech to staff in September, stressing that employees should exercise their autonomy.
“You have to decide for yourself where you need to be to get the job done, and then do it. We’re all adults,” he said, emphasizing that the company’s success is paramount.
“I care about seeing everyone here succeed, and if success requires us to see each other more often, then let’s see each other more often,” Niccol stressed.
While at Chipotle, Niccol implemented a four-day work week policy, prompting some Starbucks employees to worry that their work-from-home flexibility could be further curtailed.
Starbucks’ hybrid work policy was implemented by then-CEO Howard Schultz in 2023.
Starbucks’ three-day workweek requirement is still considered lenient compared to other major companies that are implementing mandatory return-to-office policies. In September, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that employees would be required to return to the office five days a week starting January 2, 2025. The surprise decision left many employees unhappy.
Walmart and Dell have also begun enforcing strict return-to-office policies. One notable exception, however, is Spotify, which has announced it will maintain its “work from anywhere” policy.
Source: tuoitre.vn (Dawn)
Source: Vietnam Insider