Starbucks Says “Four Days in Office—No Excuses” (But the CEO Gets a Pass)
Okay, let’s talk about this Starbucks drama. You know how everyone’s still figuring out this whole work-from-home thing? Well, Starbucks just dropped a bomb—corporate folks now have to show up four days a week instead of three. And guess what? Their CEO Brian Niccol isn’t following his own rules. Classic.
What’s Actually Changing?
So here’s the deal. Back in 2022, Starbucks was all “Yeah, come in three days, work from home two days—we’re cool like that.” Pretty standard post-pandemic stuff. But now? They’re tightening the screws. Four days chained to your desk, one day in pajamas. Starting next month.
Why? Management keeps throwing around words like “culture” and “innovation.” But let’s be real—when has forcing people to sit in traffic ever sparked creativity? I’ve got a cousin at their Seattle HQ who says people are pissed. Between gas prices and daycare pickups? Not a good look.
The Whole “Back to Starbucks” Thing
Apparently this is part of some big revival plan. Store sales have been shaky, baristas are unionizing—they’re trying to fix everything at once. Their logic? More butts in seats = better teamwork. But here’s the thing: my friend who works there says half their team lives in different states now. So… how’s that gonna work exactly?
The CEO’s “Do As I Say, Not As I Do” Moment
This is where it gets juicy. While regular employees are being tracked like school kids, Niccol’s living that “super-commuter” life—working from his yacht or whatever. The company claims he “needs flexibility for leadership stuff.” Sure. Meanwhile, the barista making your pumpkin spice latte can’t even get healthcare.
And get this—Airbnb’s CEO literally said employees can work from anywhere forever. Their stock didn’t crash. Makes you wonder why Starbucks is being so stubborn, right?
What Employees Are Saying
From what I’m hearing in private Slack groups:
- “My commute costs $400/month now—that’s basically a pay cut”
- “They keep talking about ‘culture’ but fired all the union organizers”
- “Microsoft lets people work remotely full-time and they’re doing fine?”
Honestly? This might backfire. When Google tried forcing people back, they lost a bunch of senior engineers overnight. Talent has options these days.
Where This Fits in the Big Picture
Starbucks isn’t alone—Disney and Amazon are doing the same thing. But here’s the kicker: all the tech companies that actually build remote work tools (Zoom, Slack, Dropbox) are letting people work from anywhere. Kinda tells you something, doesn’t it?
Look, I’m not saying offices are dead. Some jobs need face time. But when the boss makes rules he won’t follow? That’s not leadership—that’s just tone-deaf.
What Happens Next?
My prediction? One of three things:
- They quietly walk it back in six months (like Apple did)
- They lose their best people to companies that get it
- Nothing changes and everyone just gets more miserable
What do you think? Is Starbucks right to push for office time, or is this just corporate control freak behavior? Hit me up in the comments—I’ll be here, working from my couch in sweatpants.
Source: NY Post – Business
