Work from home policy for new Starbucks CEO sparks outrage

Starbucks has sparked outrage after revealing that its newest CEO – Brian Niccol – will have the opportunity to work from home, as opposed to at the company’s headquarters in Seattle, Washington.

The beloved coffee chain first shared a press release on August 13 to announce Niccol’s new title, after he spent six years working as the CEO of Chipotle. His official start date will be on September 9, with Starbucks’ financial official Rachel Ruggeri serving as interim CEO until then.

On August 14, Starbucks shared a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, which revealed a few details about Niccol’s new position. According to the report, the new CEO of Starbucks will have the opportunity to work from home, as he’ll receive “a small remote office” in Newport Beach, California, after his start date.

In addition, Niccol will not only have an assistant of his choosing at the remote office but the office will also “be maintained at the expense of” his company. With the opportunity to work remotely, Niccol “will not be required to relocate” to the brand’s headquarters, which is located in Seattle, Washington.

Although he needs to commute to Seattle for work from California on occasion, Niccol will have the opportunity to do it on a corporate plane, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The SEC filing also shared Niccol’s annual salary, which was indicated his offer letter as $1.6m. He also received a cash signing bonus of $10m.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, many people went on to criticize Niccol’s opportunity to work from home – in addition to other work perks – while his employees are working at the Starbucks headquarters in Seattle.

“Just a terrible decision by the Starbucks board (and this new CEO)... a $10m signing bonus, allowing him to work remotely from LA while imposing back-to-work policies for other employees,” one wrote.

“Interesting how CEOs think it is okay for themselves to work remotely but not other office workers,” another claimed. “Potentially massive pay package for Starbucks new CEO, and he doesn’t even have to move to Seattle.”

“I had to force two single moms on my team back into the office four days a week because of this man and now Starbucks is letting him work remotely 1,000 miles away from Seattle,” a third sarcastically wrote.

A fourth person tweeted: “Feels like it’s wrong for a company like Starbucks to have a CEO working from home. It’s not software. The business is all about going into a store and hanging out while drinking coffee.”

While questioning the work-from-home perk for the CEO, social media users also pointed out how last year, Starbucks announced that it was requiring employees across the company’s regional offices and SSC (Starbucks Support Center) to be in the office at least three times a week.

“Incoming Starbucks CEO is not even going to be required to go to the office and may live 1,000 miles away from the HQ. Seems like one rule for the BoDs and a different one for normal employees,” one wrote.

When Starbucks announced its CEO on August 13, Niccol issued a statement about how excited he was to join the team.

“I have long-admired Starbucks iconic brand, unique culture and commitment to enhancing human connections around the globe. As I embark upon this journey, I am energized by the tremendous potential to drive growth and further enhance the Starbucks experience for our customers and partners, while staying true to our mission and values,” he said in the press release.

Before stepping down as CEO of Chipotle, Niccol served as chief executive of Taco Bell, where some of his previous roles were also chief marketing and innovation officer and president.