Starbucks has reportedly warned corporate employees that they will lose their jobs if they don’t report to the office three days per week — just weeks after sparking backlash for allowing its new CEO to work from his Southern California home.
The Seattle-based coffeehouse chain will institute a new policy in January that will include a “standardized process” to hold employees accountable if they fail to adhere to the company’s return-to-office policy, according to a memo that was circulated to one of the company’s divisions.
Employees who don’t meet the three-day-per-week threshold will bear consequences “up to, and including, separation,” according to the memo, which was first reported by Bloomberg News.
The java giant had started requiring its approximately 3,500 corporate staffers to report to the office for a minimum of three days per week at the start of the year.
“We are continuing to support our leaders as they hold their teams accountable to our existing hybrid work policy,” the company said in a statement on Monday.
The stepped-up enforcement comes just weeks after Brian Niccol was installed as company CEO.
Last month, the former Chipotle chief executive told employees that the company expected them to work wherever they need to in order to adequately do their jobs — though he added that the best place to do that is the office.
When Niccol was first brought on board, it was reported that Starbucks would allow him to run the company remotely from a small office in his residence in Newport Beach, Calif. — some 1,200 miles away from corporate headquarters in Seattle.
The company offered him the perk as an enticement to defect from Chipotle, the company he led for six successful years that included significant improvements in sales growth and overall performance.
Starbucks also threw in a private jet that would shuttle Niccol from his Southern California home to company headquarters in Seattle.
The company later clarified that Niccol would spend a majority of his time at corporate headquarters.
Starbucks also said that Niccol would utilize the private jet and his allotment of miles to visit some of the company’s stores worldwide.
“Brian’s primary office and a majority of his time will be spent in our Seattle Support Center or visiting partners and customers in our stores, roasteries, roasting facilities and offices around the world,” a company rep told The Post.
Niccol, who was given a $10 million signing bonus upon agreeing to come to work for Starbucks, will be paid a base salary of $1.6 million.
He will also rake in millions in additional cash depending on the company’s yearly performance, according to Starbucks’ filing.
Niccol was brought in to replace Laxman Narasimhan, who helmed the company for less than two years.