SEATTLE, Wash. — Starbucks is telling its corporate staff they could be fired if they don’t come to work at the office three days a week, according to a report from Bloomberg News.
The publication says it obtained a memo that states the coffee giant will be creating a “standardized process” to hold workers accountable if they don’t abide by the return-to-office policy come January.
Consequences are reportedly “up to, and including, separation,” according to Bloomberg.
Last month, the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, Brian Niccol, told employees that they should work wherever they need to get their jobs done and that he believes that the most productive place to be is usually in the office.
However, Niccol’s work arrangement has sparked a backlash from some employees. He lives in California and commutes using a corporate jet. Starbucks stated that Niccol would spend most of his time in Seattle or visiting stores.
The company told Bloomberg its expectations for hybrid workers have not changed and that vacation, sick time, and business travel are excluded from the calculation. The company assured that workers can request an exemption from the mandate due to physical, mental, or sensory impairment or another disability.
Starbucks is the latest company in the area to push for more in-office work days. Last month, Amazon Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy issued a memo to employees, stating they must return to the office five days a week starting in the new year. The company currently lets many work from home two to three days per week.
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