Starbucks employees react to CEO's RTO mandate: 'This is the wrong direction. Please stop'

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol's firm message earlier in the week stipulated two options for corporate workers: adhere to the four-day-a-week in-office requirement or quit.

Employees at Starbucks' corporate headquarters are openly expressing their discontent with CEO Brian Niccol's return-to-office (RTO) mandate, leading to concerns about an erosion of the company's long-standing "partner first" culture. The recent directive, issued by Niccol demands that corporate workers be in the office four days a week -- a move that has surprised many and prompted immediate backlash.

The displeasure became visible last Friday when a flyer, created by a group calling themselves "Partners for the Preservation of Starbucks Culture, Mission, and Values," was taped inside an elevator at the Seattle corporate offices, Business Insider reported. Featuring images of Niccol and a list of grievances, the flyer sharply criticised the CEO's leadership, recent executive cost-cutting bonuses, the RTO order, and perceived negative shifts in the work environment.

"Getting 'Back to Starbucks' isn't just about comfy chairs. It's about our Culture, Values, Mission, and how we treat people and the environment," the flyer stated, concluding with a plea: "This is the wrong direction. Please stop."

Niccol's firm message last week stipulated two options for corporate workers: adhere to the four-day-a-week in-office requirement or quit. Notably, some "people leaders" managing teams, whose remote status was eliminated, were mandated to relocate to Seattle or Toronto. For those unwilling to relocate, Starbucks offered voluntary buyout packages depending on their title, Business Insider reported.

The sudden RTO notices caught many corporate employees by surprise, leading some to immediately begin looking for new jobs. Kristina Lawson, a Starbucks program manager with over 18 years of service, shared on LinkedIn, "As Starbucks chooses to require all people-leaders to relocate to Seattle, I am placed in a position where I must consider exploring other opportunities and would appreciate your support."

"I think for those of us who have been around for a while, we see a culture shift happening in the organisation where our public face doesn't necessarily match our private face anymore," a Starbucks veteran with nearly 20 years at the company told the publication.

Read more: Starbucks CEO, who used to fly 1,600 km to go to work, buys home near Seattle office