Starbucks calls remote workers back into the office
In a letter to employees posted on Monday, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said corporate employees would need to be in the office four days a week starting in early October instead of three days a week.
The Seattle-based company said that all corporate "people leaders" must be based in either Seattle or Toronto within 12 months.
That is a change from February, when it required vice presidents to relocate to Seattle or Toronto.
Starbucks said individual employees working under those leaders would not be asked to relocate.
But the company said all hiring for future roles and lateral moves will require employees to be based in Seattle or Toronto.
"We are re-establishing our in-office culture because we do our best work when we're together. We share ideas more effectively, creatively solve hard problems, and move much faster," Niccol wrote in the letter.
Niccol said affected workers who choose not to relocate will be eligible for a one-time voluntary exit program with a cash payment.
While many workers grew to enjoy working from home during the pandemic, the call for workers to return to offices full-time has been growing over the past year.
Major US employers such as Amazon, AT&T and the federal government have required employees to work in office sites five days per week.
Competition for fully-remote jobs is fierce.
Starbucks spokeswoman Lori Torgerson said she did not have a count of employees who are currently working as "people leaders" or are working remotely.
Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide but that includes coffee roasters and warehouse staff.
Niccol was not required to relocate to Seattle when he was hired to lead Starbucks last August.
Instead, the company said it would help him set up an office near his home in Newport Beach, California, and would give him the use of a corporate jet to commute to Seattle.
Since then, Niccol has bought a home in Seattle and is frequently seen at the company's headquarters, Torgerson said.
Starbucks is requiring some remote workers to return to its headquarters and increasing the number of days that corporate employees are required to work in an office.
In a letter to employees posted on Monday, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said corporate employees would need to be in the office four days a week starting in early October instead of three days a week.
The Seattle-based company said that all corporate "people leaders" must be based in either Seattle or Toronto within 12 months.
That is a change from February, when it required vice presidents to relocate to Seattle or Toronto.
Starbucks said individual employees working under those leaders would not be asked to relocate.
But the company said all hiring for future roles and lateral moves will require employees to be based in Seattle or Toronto.
"We are re-establishing our in-office culture because we do our best work when we're together. We share ideas more effectively, creatively solve hard problems, and move much faster," Niccol wrote in the letter.
Niccol said affected workers who choose not to relocate will be eligible for a one-time voluntary exit program with a cash payment.
While many workers grew to enjoy working from home during the pandemic, the call for workers to return to offices full-time has been growing over the past year.
Major US employers such as Amazon, AT&T and the federal government have required employees to work in office sites five days per week.
Competition for fully-remote jobs is fierce.
Starbucks spokeswoman Lori Torgerson said she did not have a count of employees who are currently working as "people leaders" or are working remotely.
Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide but that includes coffee roasters and warehouse staff.
Niccol was not required to relocate to Seattle when he was hired to lead Starbucks last August.
Instead, the company said it would help him set up an office near his home in Newport Beach, California, and would give him the use of a corporate jet to commute to Seattle.
Since then, Niccol has bought a home in Seattle and is frequently seen at the company's headquarters, Torgerson said.
Starbucks is requiring some remote workers to return to its headquarters and increasing the number of days that corporate employees are required to work in an office.
In a letter to employees posted on Monday, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said corporate employees would need to be in the office four days a week starting in early October instead of three days a week.
The Seattle-based company said that all corporate "people leaders" must be based in either Seattle or Toronto within 12 months.
That is a change from February, when it required vice presidents to relocate to Seattle or Toronto.
Starbucks said individual employees working under those leaders would not be asked to relocate.
But the company said all hiring for future roles and lateral moves will require employees to be based in Seattle or Toronto.
"We are re-establishing our in-office culture because we do our best work when we're together. We share ideas more effectively, creatively solve hard problems, and move much faster," Niccol wrote in the letter.
Niccol said affected workers who choose not to relocate will be eligible for a one-time voluntary exit program with a cash payment.
While many workers grew to enjoy working from home during the pandemic, the call for workers to return to offices full-time has been growing over the past year.
Major US employers such as Amazon, AT&T and the federal government have required employees to work in office sites five days per week.
Competition for fully-remote jobs is fierce.
Starbucks spokeswoman Lori Torgerson said she did not have a count of employees who are currently working as "people leaders" or are working remotely.
Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide but that includes coffee roasters and warehouse staff.
Niccol was not required to relocate to Seattle when he was hired to lead Starbucks last August.
Instead, the company said it would help him set up an office near his home in Newport Beach, California, and would give him the use of a corporate jet to commute to Seattle.
Since then, Niccol has bought a home in Seattle and is frequently seen at the company's headquarters, Torgerson said.
Starbucks is requiring some remote workers to return to its headquarters and increasing the number of days that corporate employees are required to work in an office.
In a letter to employees posted on Monday, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said corporate employees would need to be in the office four days a week starting in early October instead of three days a week.
The Seattle-based company said that all corporate "people leaders" must be based in either Seattle or Toronto within 12 months.
That is a change from February, when it required vice presidents to relocate to Seattle or Toronto.
Starbucks said individual employees working under those leaders would not be asked to relocate.
But the company said all hiring for future roles and lateral moves will require employees to be based in Seattle or Toronto.
"We are re-establishing our in-office culture because we do our best work when we're together. We share ideas more effectively, creatively solve hard problems, and move much faster," Niccol wrote in the letter.
Niccol said affected workers who choose not to relocate will be eligible for a one-time voluntary exit program with a cash payment.
While many workers grew to enjoy working from home during the pandemic, the call for workers to return to offices full-time has been growing over the past year.
Major US employers such as Amazon, AT&T and the federal government have required employees to work in office sites five days per week.
Competition for fully-remote jobs is fierce.
Starbucks spokeswoman Lori Torgerson said she did not have a count of employees who are currently working as "people leaders" or are working remotely.
Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide but that includes coffee roasters and warehouse staff.
Niccol was not required to relocate to Seattle when he was hired to lead Starbucks last August.
Instead, the company said it would help him set up an office near his home in Newport Beach, California, and would give him the use of a corporate jet to commute to Seattle.
Since then, Niccol has bought a home in Seattle and is frequently seen at the company's headquarters, Torgerson said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Disgraceful': The $3.8 billion renovation Trump wants to use to oust an old enemy
Powell and his board have the dual mandate of maximising employment and keeping prices stable, a task that can require them to make politically unpopular moves such as raising interest rates to hold inflation in check. The general theory is that keeping the Fed free from the influence of the White House — other than for nominations of Fed officials — allows it to fulfil its mission based on what the economy needs, instead of what a politician wants. An attempt to remove Powell from his job before his term ends in May 2026 would undercut the Fed's long-standing independence from day-to-day politics and could lead to higher inflation, higher interest rates and a weaker economy. The Supreme Court recently signalled that the president can't fire Powell simply because Trump disagrees with him on interest rates. But legally he could do so 'for cause,' such as misconduct or dereliction of duty. Trump's workaround appears to be that Powell misrepresented the renovation project in congressional testimony and that the cost is excessive, thus meriting his dismissal. The Fed's main headquarters is over 90 years old The Fed says its main headquarters, known as the Marriner S. Eccles building, was in dire need of an upgrade because its electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems, among others, are nearly obsolete and some date back to the building's construction in the 1930s. The renovation will also remove asbestos, lead and other hazardous elements and update the building with modern electrical and communications systems. The H-shaped building, named after a former Fed chair in the 1930s and '40s, is located near some of Washington's highest-profile monuments and has references to classical architecture and marble in the facades and stonework. The central bank is also renovating a building next door that it acquired in 2018. The Fed says there has been periodic maintenance to the structures but adds that this is the first 'comprehensive renovation.' The renovation costs have ballooned over the years Trump administration officials have criticised the Fed over the project's expense, which has reached $US2.5 billion, about $US600 million more than was originally budgeted. Loading Like a beleaguered homeowner facing spiralling costs for a remodelling project, the Fed cites many reasons for the greater expense. Construction costs, including for materials and labor, rose sharply during the inflation spike in 2021 and 2022. More asbestos needed to be removed than expected. Washington's local restrictions on building heights forced it to build underground, which is pricier. In 2024, the Fed's board cancelled its planned renovations of a third building because of rising costs. The Fed says the renovations will reduce costs 'over time' because it will be able to consolidate its roughly 3000 Washington-based employees into fewer buildings and will no longer need to rent as much extra space as it does now. White House budget director calls renovations 'ostentatious' Russ Vought, the administration's top budget adviser, wrote Powell a letter last Thursday that said Trump is 'extremely troubled' about the Fed's 'ostentatious overhaul' of its facilities. The Fed's renovation plans call for 'rooftop terrace gardens, VIP private dining rooms and elevators, water features, premium marble, and much more,' Vought said in his letter. Powell has disputed the claims, which were given wide circulation in a paper issued by the Mercatus Center, a think tank at George Mason University, in March 2025. The paper was written by Andrew Levin, an economist at Dartmouth College and former Fed staffer. 'There's no VIP dining room,' Powell said last month during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. 'There's no new marble. ... There are no special elevators. There are no new water features. ... And there's no roof terrace gardens.' Some of those elements were removed from initial building plans submitted in 2021, the Fed says. But the White House also takes issue with the Fed reducing its renovation costs The Fed's changes to its building plans have opened it up to another line of attack: White House officials suggest the Fed violated the terms of the approval it received from a local planning commission by changing its plans. In its September 2021 approval of the project, the National Capital Planning Commission said it 'Commends' the Fed for 'fully engaging partner federal agencies.' But because the Fed changed its plans, the administration is indicating it needed to go back to the commission for a separate approval. Essentially, White House officials are saying Powell is being reckless with taxpayer money because of the cost of the renovation, but they are also accusing him of acting unethically by scaling back the project to save money. Loading James Blair, the White House deputy chief of staff whom Trump named to the commission, said last Thursday in a post on X that Powell's June congressional testimony 'leads me to conclude the project is not in alignment with plans submitted to & approved by the National Capital Planning Commission in 2021.' Speaking last Thursday at the planning commission meeting, Blair said he intends to tour the construction site, review materials from the Fed on how the approved 2021 renovation plans have changed and circulate a letter among his colleagues on the commission that would go to Fed officials. The Fed has asked for an independent review of the project.
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
‘Disgraceful': The $3.8 billion renovation Trump wants to use to oust an old enemy
Powell and his board have the dual mandate of maximising employment and keeping prices stable, a task that can require them to make politically unpopular moves such as raising interest rates to hold inflation in check. The general theory is that keeping the Fed free from the influence of the White House — other than for nominations of Fed officials — allows it to fulfil its mission based on what the economy needs, instead of what a politician wants. An attempt to remove Powell from his job before his term ends in May 2026 would undercut the Fed's long-standing independence from day-to-day politics and could lead to higher inflation, higher interest rates and a weaker economy. The Supreme Court recently signalled that the president can't fire Powell simply because Trump disagrees with him on interest rates. But legally he could do so 'for cause,' such as misconduct or dereliction of duty. Trump's workaround appears to be that Powell misrepresented the renovation project in congressional testimony and that the cost is excessive, thus meriting his dismissal. The Fed's main headquarters is over 90 years old The Fed says its main headquarters, known as the Marriner S. Eccles building, was in dire need of an upgrade because its electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems, among others, are nearly obsolete and some date back to the building's construction in the 1930s. The renovation will also remove asbestos, lead and other hazardous elements and update the building with modern electrical and communications systems. The H-shaped building, named after a former Fed chair in the 1930s and '40s, is located near some of Washington's highest-profile monuments and has references to classical architecture and marble in the facades and stonework. The central bank is also renovating a building next door that it acquired in 2018. The Fed says there has been periodic maintenance to the structures but adds that this is the first 'comprehensive renovation.' The renovation costs have ballooned over the years Trump administration officials have criticised the Fed over the project's expense, which has reached $US2.5 billion, about $US600 million more than was originally budgeted. Loading Like a beleaguered homeowner facing spiralling costs for a remodelling project, the Fed cites many reasons for the greater expense. Construction costs, including for materials and labor, rose sharply during the inflation spike in 2021 and 2022. More asbestos needed to be removed than expected. Washington's local restrictions on building heights forced it to build underground, which is pricier. In 2024, the Fed's board cancelled its planned renovations of a third building because of rising costs. The Fed says the renovations will reduce costs 'over time' because it will be able to consolidate its roughly 3000 Washington-based employees into fewer buildings and will no longer need to rent as much extra space as it does now. White House budget director calls renovations 'ostentatious' Russ Vought, the administration's top budget adviser, wrote Powell a letter last Thursday that said Trump is 'extremely troubled' about the Fed's 'ostentatious overhaul' of its facilities. The Fed's renovation plans call for 'rooftop terrace gardens, VIP private dining rooms and elevators, water features, premium marble, and much more,' Vought said in his letter. Powell has disputed the claims, which were given wide circulation in a paper issued by the Mercatus Center, a think tank at George Mason University, in March 2025. The paper was written by Andrew Levin, an economist at Dartmouth College and former Fed staffer. 'There's no VIP dining room,' Powell said last month during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. 'There's no new marble. ... There are no special elevators. There are no new water features. ... And there's no roof terrace gardens.' Some of those elements were removed from initial building plans submitted in 2021, the Fed says. But the White House also takes issue with the Fed reducing its renovation costs The Fed's changes to its building plans have opened it up to another line of attack: White House officials suggest the Fed violated the terms of the approval it received from a local planning commission by changing its plans. In its September 2021 approval of the project, the National Capital Planning Commission said it 'Commends' the Fed for 'fully engaging partner federal agencies.' But because the Fed changed its plans, the administration is indicating it needed to go back to the commission for a separate approval. Essentially, White House officials are saying Powell is being reckless with taxpayer money because of the cost of the renovation, but they are also accusing him of acting unethically by scaling back the project to save money. Loading James Blair, the White House deputy chief of staff whom Trump named to the commission, said last Thursday in a post on X that Powell's June congressional testimony 'leads me to conclude the project is not in alignment with plans submitted to & approved by the National Capital Planning Commission in 2021.' Speaking last Thursday at the planning commission meeting, Blair said he intends to tour the construction site, review materials from the Fed on how the approved 2021 renovation plans have changed and circulate a letter among his colleagues on the commission that would go to Fed officials. The Fed has asked for an independent review of the project.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia property investment: Affordable regional towns where house prices are at record highs
In Queensland, several postcodes in Townsville posted 20 per cent-plus gains, while the WA list was dominated by outback locations, especially around Geraldton, that jumped more than 25 per cent. Loading Sydney-based mortgage broker MortgageWorks director Anthony Roddy has been fielding demand from property investors looking at affordable regional towns with strong rental returns. 'I've seen an explosion of [the number of] clients – and I would see this conversation is so much more prevalent now – where a client has engaged a buyer's agent, and they're looking at areas in regional Victoria, regional WA, regional Queensland,' he said. 'They're looking for lower entry point, higher yield, rentvesting type, buy as many as you can as quickly as you can. And they've had some success.' He said they are looking at cheaper price points than in capital city markets, and for higher yields that will reduce the amount of cash they have to put into the investment each month. He advises clients looking at regional areas to check there is good infrastructure and services coming to the town soon, and thinks it's preferable for investors to choose an area with a slightly bigger population. But there is a limit to his influence with clients choosing this strategy. 'When you're in a bigger population, you've got better property managers, you've got a selection of tenants, you've got competitive pressures when it comes to prices,' he said. 'I'm happy to just shoot the breeze with you, but really my job is the finance.' Geelong-based Matt Turner, partner at GSC Finance, has also been trying to make sure clients understand the risks of property investment in a high interest rate environment which has constrained buyers' budgets. He points them to precedents such as the mining boom and bust in WA, in which some sellers lost money. Loading 'There's always clients looking for value, and especially when borrowing capacities are lower than what they have been,' he said. 'We do have some clients that are on a fairly aggressive wealth creation strategy, and they are utilising investment specialist buyer's agents that are recommending different places. 'We do try to educate them about those risks.' In northern NSW, Johnston Donoghue director Luke Johnston has been fielding renewed demand from property investors as interest rates fall. Boggabri topped the state's league table, and nearby Gunnedah, where the agency is based. 'People can get into somewhere around Boggabri with a 6 to 7 per cent return on an investment property, because it's a lot closer to a lot of the mining work that's getting carried on,' he said. He notes the area has a strong economic base due to both the agricultural sector and the mining industry, which offers well-paid jobs to school leavers. 'It's a fairly vibrant little town, both Boggabri and Gunnedah. We've got a lot of high income earners here.' In Victoria's south-west, Homeseeka Real Estate director Daryl Kenna, based in Warrnambool, has seen prices hold strong in nearby Terang, set in an established farming area. He has been selling Terang homes to a mix of investors and to people moving there from Warrnambool. But inquiries from buyer's agents acting for investors have been pouring into Warrnambool. He notes the reduction in cost of V-line train travel from Melbourne, as Terang is on the rail line, as a drawcard, along with infrastructure spending and many homes being renovated. 'It's a beautiful town,' he said. 'It's a fantastic little community.'
