Starbucks threatens to fire employees if they don't show up at the office.

Starbucks coffee chain is tightening its office work policy for employees.

The F&B giant requires its office staff to work a hybrid schedule of at least three days a week - Photo: Reuters

When Starbucks' new CEO, Brian Niccol, took office in September, he sparked considerable debate. One of the controversies was Niccol's daily commute of approximately 1,600 kilometers from California to Starbucks' headquarters in Seattle. Now, he's causing a stir once again.

Starbucks tightens regulations for its employees.

The F&B giant requires its office staff to work a hybrid schedule of remote and in-office work for at least three days a week. Mr. Niccol emphasized that Starbucks will not specify which days employees must be in the office. However, this does not mean employees can avoid the three-day-a-week work-in-office requirement.

According to initial reports by Bloomberg News on November 18, an internal memo was sent to the entire company, highlighting Starbucks' stricter stance on working in the office, effective from January 2025.

The Wall Street Journal revealed further details of the announcement, stating that employees will face an "accountability process" effective from 2025. Employees who do not comply with the policy risk serious consequences, "including termination of employment," the announcement said.

"We continue to support our managers in ensuring their teams comply with our collaborative work policy," the company announced in a statement on November 18, according to Bloomberg .

Last week, it was reported that Publicis Media had laid off nearly 100 employees in the US for repeatedly ignoring the company's three-day-a-week work-in-office policy.

"We have been clear and consistent on policy that employees work in the office at least three days a week," a spokesperson for Publicis Media in the U.S. stated.

"We should meet as often as possible."

The new CEO, Brian Niccol, has spoken about the need for in-person work, although he hasn't increased the number of days employees need to be present.

"My view is that we should meet as often as possible," he said in a speech to staff in September, while also emphasizing that employees should exercise their autonomy.

"You need to decide for yourself where you need to be to get the job done, and then do it. We are all adults," he said. He emphasized that the company's success is the most important thing.

"I'm interested in seeing everyone here succeed, and if success requires us to meet more often, then let's meet more often," Niccol emphasized.

While working at Chipotle, Niccol implemented a four-day-a-week work-in-office policy, leading some Starbucks employees to worry that their flexibility in working from home might be further curtailed.

Starbucks' hybrid work policy was implemented by then-CEO Howard Schultz in 2023.

Starbucks' three-day work week requirement is still considered lenient compared to other large companies implementing mandatory office return policies. In September, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that employees would have to return to the office five days a week starting January 2, 2025. This unexpected decision displeased many employees.

Walmart and Dell have also begun enforcing strict policies regarding returning to the office. However, a notable exception is Spotify, which has announced it will maintain its "work from anywhere" policy.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/starbucks-doa-cho-nghi-viec-luon-neu-nhan-vien-khong-den-van-phong-20241121105505628.htm