Starbucks will require corporate employees in the U.S. and Canada to return to the office four days a week starting in October, offering a payout to those who choose to leave instead.
The updated mandate, which expands the current three-day policy, will apply Monday through Thursday. It is part of CEO Brian Niccol’s strategy to steer the company through falling sales and operational changes.
“We understand not everyone will agree with this approach,” Niccol wrote in a blog post. “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.”
Some managers will also be required to relocate to either Seattle, where the company is based, or Toronto. Although Niccol’s own contract did not initially demand a move to Seattle, he has since purchased a home there.
The in-office push follows other efforts under Niccol’s leadership, including updating menus, redesigning stores, and reversing a prior policy that allowed non-customers to use restrooms and linger in cafes. The company also cut 1,100 jobs earlier this year.
Starbucks joins a growing list of firms like Amazon and JP Morgan rolling back pandemic-era remote work flexibility. Research from Stanford University and others shows that while about 20% of U.S. workers remain fully remote, nearly one-third have returned full-time and 45% operate under hybrid arrangements.
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