Latest news with #corporateemployees
Entrepreneur
17 hours ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Starbucks CEO Says Return to the Office or Take a Buyout
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is pushing for more in-person work, stating that it strengthens company culture. Starbucks is calling corporate employees back to the office four days a week and offering a buyout to those who'd rather leave the company instead. In a letter to employees on Monday, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said that at the beginning of the company's fiscal year in October, workers will be expected to be in the office four days a week, Monday through Thursday, up from the previous three-day requirement established in 2023. Related: 'We're Not Effective': Starbucks CEO Tells Corporate Employees to 'Own Whether or Not This Place Grows' However, he also offered a way out. Niccol noted that Starbucks corporate workers have the option for a "one-time voluntary exit program with a cash payment" of undisclosed value if they wish to leave the company in response to the return-to-office mandate. "The default for support partners should be working in person, in a Starbucks office, alongside your team and cross-functional partners," Niccol wrote. "We understand not everyone will agree with this approach." Niccol wrote that he has "listened" and "thought carefully" about the move to more in-person work, concluding that four days a week in the office is the best step for Starbucks going forward. Employees do their "best work" when they're together, and in-person work strengthens company culture, Niccol asserted. "As a company built on human connection, and given the scale of the turnaround ahead, we believe this is the right path for Starbucks," Niccol wrote. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol. Photo byNiccol became Starbucks' CEO in September 2024 after spending six years leading Chipotle. Starbucks pays for Niccol to use a corporate jet to commute nearly 1,000 miles from his home in Newport Beach, California, to the company's headquarters in Seattle, Washington. His work schedule exceeds three days a week in the office, a Starbucks representative told CNBC in August. Under Niccol's leadership, Starbucks has embarked on a turnaround plan called "Back to Starbucks," designed to revitalize slumping sales and make the coffee chain more of a welcoming place for customers. Changes made so far include streamlining the menu by cutting 30% of it, aiming to make coffee in under four minutes, and offering a personalized touch by writing customers' names down on their cups. Related: 'Additional Human Touch': Starbucks Has a Turnaround Plan That Includes Buying 200,000 Sharpies. Here's Why. So far, sales are still dwindling. Starbucks' most recent financial results in April showed that global store sales declined 1% for the quarter ending on March 30 compared to the same period last year. In the U.S., store sales dropped 2% for the quarter. Starbucks still opened 213 net new stores in the quarter, ending the period with 40,789 global stores. More than 17,000 of those stores were located in the U.S. Starbucks shares were up over 2% year-to-date at the time of writing. The coffee chain had a market value of $106.85 billion. Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CEO Brian Niccol asks Starbucks workers to come back to the office—or he'll pay them to leave
Starbucks has announced a significant shift in its workplace policy, requiring corporate employees to work from the office at least four days a week starting in October 2025. This is an increase from the previous three-day requirement and is part of the company's broader turnaround strategy. The new policy also mandates that all corporate 'people leaders' must relocate to either Seattle or Toronto within 12 months, a move that could impact hundreds of employees. Those unwilling to relocate will be offered a voluntary exit package with a cash payout. CEO Brian Niccol emphasized the importance of in-person collaboration, stating, 'We are reestablishing our in-office culture because we do our best work when we're together. We share ideas more effectively, creatively solve hard problems, and move much faster.' The company's decision reflects a growing trend among major employers to roll back remote work privileges granted during the pandemic. Starbucks is far from alone. Over the past two years, a wave of major corporations has issued similar return-to-office (RTO) mandates, signaling a decisive shift away from pandemic-era remote work flexibility. Here's how some of the world's largest companies have responded: Amazon: Announced in late 2024 that all employees would have to return to the office five days a week in the new year, ending hybrid and remote arrangements. The company cited improved collaboration and culture as key reasons. Apple: Since 2022, Apple has required employees to be in the office at least three days a week, with CEO Tim Cook emphasizing the value of in-person teamwork. Walmart: In May 2024, Walmart required remote employees to relocate to central hubs, including its Arkansas headquarters, or risk losing their jobs. Hybrid schedules are still permitted, but most work must be in-person. Dell: In January 2025, Dell ended remote work for most employees, mandating five days a week in the office for those living near a company location. Disney: In January 2023, CEO Bob Iger mandated a four-day in-office workweek for hybrid employees starting in March 2023, reversing earlier flexible policies. JPMorgan Chase: Managing directors have been required to work in person five days a week since 2023, with broader office mandates for other staff. The company is reportedly considering extending the five-day requirement to all employees. Goldman Sachs: Has pushed for a full return to the office since 2022. Citigroup: In 2025, Citigroup asked its U.S. workers who were previously remote to return to the office full-time, though some hybrid flexibility remains. While some companies, like Airbnb and Spotify, continue to embrace flexible or fully remote models, the prevailing trend among the largest employers is a decisive move back to the office. Executives cite collaboration, culture, and productivity as primary drivers, even as some employees push back or seek new roles with more flexibility. Still, for all these mandates by Fortune 500 CEOs, a research note from Capital Economics shows that office attendance as measured by keycard swipes was just 50% nationally as of the first half of 2025. Seattle and San Francisco were the only two major markets forecast to see office rents decline through 2029, the research firm also found. 'We understand not everyone will agree with this approach,' Niccol wrote in his letter to employees. 'We've listened and thought carefully. But as a company built on human connection, and given the scale of the turnaround ahead, we believe this is the right path for Starbucks.' Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment. For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Starbucks Wants Corporate Staff in the Office Four Days a Week
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said corporate employees must spend four days a week in the office beginning in October. The company will support those who voluntarily leave with one-time payments, Niccol wrote in a letter to employees. The CEO said reestablishing an "in-office culture" would help Starbucks more quickly execute a turnaround plan."Back to Starbucks" means back to the office, too. Starbucks' (SBUX) corporate employees must report to the office four days a week—instead of three—beginning in October, CEO Brian Niccol said Monday, making it the latest high-profile U.S. employer to move to bring people back to the office more frequently. Reestablishing Starbucks' "in-office culture" will help the company move quickly and creatively as it attempts a comeback, Niccol wrote in a letter to employees that was also published on the company's public web site. Starbucks will provide a one-time cash payment to support those who'd rather leave the company, Niccol added. 'We know we're asking a lot of every partner as we work to turn the business around. And we understand that the updated in-office culture may not work for everyone,' the letter said. 'If you decide you want to leave Starbucks for any reason, we respect that.' The company has also said that while individuals would not be asked to relocate, hiring for lateral moves and future roles would require the people be in Seattle or Toronto. The new policy comes five months after Starbucks said it would lay off 1,100 corporate workers as part of its turnaround campaign. The cafe chain shortly before the layoffs said its corporate headcount was 16,000. Niccol unveiled a plan to counter sluggish sales in September. His 'Back to Starbucks" campaign calls for serving customers within four minutes, and cultivating an inviting atmosphere for those looking to spend time in cafes. A new afternoon menu may also be in the works, Niccol said. Starbucks shares fell about 1.6% Monday, but have ticked up about 2.4% so far this year. Read Investopedia's live coverage of today's trading here. Read the original article on Investopedia Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Starbucks Employees Required to Work Four Days in the Office
Starbucks Corp. will require its corporate employees to work four days in the office a week, up from three, starting Sept. 29. The coffee giant also announced that people managers who are currently working remote will need to relocate to Seattle or Toronto within 12 months.
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Amazon asks corporate workers to ‘volunteer' help with grocery deliveries as Prime Day frenzy approaches
Corporate employees of Amazon were asked on Monday to volunteer their time to the company's warehouses to assist with grocery delivery as it heads into its annual discount spree known as Prime Day. In a Slack message reviewed by the Guardian that went to thousands of white-collar workers in the New York City area from engineers to marketers, an Amazon area manager called for corporate 'volunteers to help us out with Prime Day to deliver to customers on our biggest days yet'. It is not clear how many took up the offer. The ask came the day before Prime Day kicks off. The manager said volunteers are 'needed' to work Tuesday through Friday this week, in two-hour shifts between 10am and 6pm in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, where the company operates a warehouse as part of its grocery delivery service, Amazon Fresh. Corporate employees seconded to the warehouse would be tasked with picking items, preparing carts and bags of groceries for delivery, packing boxes on receiving carts, and working to 'boost morale with distribution of snacks', though they would be allowed to step into a conference room to take meetings and calls, according to the message. The manager noted such an effort would help 'connect' warehouse and corporate teams. Amazon routinely hires thousands of extra warehouse workers in advance of its annual Prime Day sale, which sees the massive online retailer discount thousands of goods, creating a surge in orders and demand for delivery. Amazon Fresh, available to Prime subscribers but separate from Amazon subsidiary Whole Foods, is also offering discounts this week during Prime Day, such as a free 90-day trial of the delivery services and $30 off of deliveries for current members, while maintaining its same-day or next-day delivery service. New York is one of Amazon's busiest areas in the US. An Amazon spokesperson, Griffin Buch, said this is not the first time 'grocery corporate' employees have been 'invited to volunteer' with fulfillment. 'This support is entirely optional, and it allows corporate employees to get closer to customers while enabling our store teams to focus on the work that's most impactful,' Buch said. Amazon Fresh has faced turbulence in recent years. Amid cost-cutting efforts in 2023 and a struggle to turn a profit on grocery delivery, CEO Andy Jassy closed several physical Amazon Fresh locations and laid off hundreds of employees in the segment. Amazon has laid off more than 27,000 employees overall since cost-cutting efforts began in 2022. A week ago, Jassy spoke on CNBC of a future at Amazon where drones and even robots were used to fulfill and deliver goods to people. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion 'Over time, as we expand the use of robotics in our fulfillment centers, we will have robots doing fulfillment and transportation for us,' he said.
