Will Remote Work Come Back? Starbucks CEO Says Rules For Thee, Not For Me

Brian Niccol made waves last week when Starbucks Corp SBUX announced the former Chipotle Mexican Grill CMG CEO would be the new leader of Starbucks. In order to entice Niccol to leave Chipotle for Starbucks, the coffee giant offered a $10-million signing bonus and another significant perk — the ability to work remotely.

Niccol, who resides in Southern California, can continue living there and travel to Starbucks' headquarters in Seattle when needed. The arrangement highlights how executive work has shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic, with higher-ups at companies allowed to work remotely while many lower-level employees are ordered back to the office. 

See Also: New Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol Boosts Company Valuation By Over $15B In One Day: What’s His Net Worth?

Victoria's Secret & Co VSCO, which announced Hillary Super as the company's new CEO last week, made a similar concession to land Super, allowing her to reside in New York City and make frequent trips to the company's headquarters in Ohio, according to the Wall Street Journal. Boeing NYSE: BA)’s new CEO Kelly Ortberg, however, is moving near Seattle to be closer to the plane manufacturer's headquarters.

The COVID-19 pandemic allowed hundreds of thousands of employees to begin working remotely, but many corporations have since pushed for people to return to the office.

Amazon.com Inc AMZN has been moving for its employees to return to the office but was met with pushback. Employees walked out in protest over the company's return to office policy earlier this summer, showcasing the struggle for companies to entice workers back to the office.

Starbucks baristas are required to work in person, but the company also mandated those in marketing and other office-job roles to return to the office three days a week, a stark contrast to Niccol's arrangement.

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Photo: Joshua Woroniecki from Pixabay