Starbucks Corporate Workers are Ordered to Return to the Office 3 Days a Week

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has had enough of remote work.

Starbucks’ corporate workforce has been working remotely since the beginning of the pandemic. However, Shultz let employees know that those days are over.

According to CNBC, “Starting Jan. 30, employees within commuting distance will be required to report to the coffee giant’s Seattle headquarters on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and a third day decided on by their teams. The memo didn’t specify what qualified as commuting distance.” Additionally, “Workers closer to regional offices will also be required to come in three days a week, although the specific days aren’t mandated.”

Schultz explained in a statement posted on Starbucks’ website, the decision to come back to the office for a portion of the week is a “shift designed to preserve the flexibility and productivity that you’ve built through your work-at-home rituals while, at the same time, bringing us together in a synchronized way for the in-person work that’s vital for our future success.”

Schultz deemed the opportunity to work remotely a “privilege” and acknowledged the baristas and employees at the plants and distribution centers who have always had to show up at work.

Starbucks is not the only company making the return to the office mandatory. CNBC reported that Disney, Twitter and Apple are among some of the companies implementing new in-office policies.