Starbucks’ RTO Mandate? Not that Bad …

Still, the Future of Work Isn’t Getting Here Fast Enough

When I first read that Starbucks was threatening to fire employees who didn’t comply with their RTO mandate, I said, “Here we go again.”

More bosses freaking out that they cannot have their finger on all their subordinates all the time.

But I paused reading through The Wall Street Journal story by Jennifer Calfas and Heather Haddon. Starbucks’ plan is three days a week. And it’s not new.

At second glance, perhaps the giant coffee chain’s approach represents a balanced compromise between the old and new.

Starbucks and the Reinvention of Work

Starbucks has required corporate employees to spend three days in the office every week for a couple of years. The only difference now is corporate plans to enforce the policy. And yes, the consequences for noncompliance, starting in January 2025, include termination.

The policy affects about 3,500 employees, including new CEO Brian Niccol. He plans to commute three days a week.

Of course, he is commuting from California to Seattle on a corporate jet. That’s a far cry from riding the bus or train. Or driving for hours along busy highways.

Still, Starbucks hasn’t followed the lead of Amazon, Dell Technologies, UPS, JPMorgan Chase and Boeing. Those huge corporations have return-to-office mandates of five days a week.

So, yes, I’m dismayed that one-third of all companies require their workers to spend five days a week in the office full time.

Two-Thirds of Companies Move in the Right Direction

But the flip side of that means that two-thirds of companies do not have such stringent rules.

This suggests a shift toward more flexible work arrangements across the board. And, as another Wall Street Journal article suggests, a lifeline for landlords and office space investors.

While I remain skeptical of full-time in-office mandates, you can make an argument for stabilizing hybrid arrangements. A three-day in-office work week could serve as a middle ground. Such a policy could allow for face-to-face collaboration while still providing the flexibility and work-life balance that many employees have come to value.

In an ideal world, more corporate CEOs would recognize the benefits of remote work and reduce their reliance on physical office spaces.

Just think about the infrastructure, energy and time wasted on daily commuting. Commuting has a genuine destructive impact on people and the environment. Perhaps a few days a month in the office would suffice for most operations.

Even I Was Forced into Remote Work

However, the reality is that change often comes gradually, unless forced.

I wonder where I would be if COVID-19 had not struck? Because in March 2020, unless I was on the road traveling, I spent five days a week in the office. So did everybody else.

I didn’t go full-time remote until I left my previous company and started Tompkins Ventures in April 2020. The pandemic forced me and a lot of others out of the office.

The difference? I like it.

I hire good employees. It helps that I’m not limited by geography. I don’t have to micromanage every person. But even I needed a massive knock over the head, pandemic style, to even try remote work on a permanent basis.

Communication worries have proven overblown. We “talk” a lot through email, phone and Zoom. For the most part, it works. Although we hiccup occasionally, that happens with any communication style, format or channel.

In that light, I can see Starbucks’ enforcement of a three-day in-office policy as a step in the right direction. Especially when compared to companies that have banned working remotely and even nixed hybrid work models.

Many of those companies probably have huge office leases on the books. As The Wall Street Journal reports, about 40% of office space leases active when the pandemic began have not yet expired. It looks bad to pay for gleaming offices that remain empty.

Sometimes Progress Is a Compromise

While I personally advocate for less office attendance than the current norm, let’s acknowledge progress. The fact that two-thirds of companies do not require a full return to the office is encouraging.

As we move forward, it’s crucial for companies to continue evaluating their policies around working hours. You have to consider productivity, employee well-being and company culture.

I expect flexibility and adaptability to characterize the future of work. Some team members might work in the office a lot. Others might spend more time working from home. Each cohort should have a say in their situation.

Companies that embrace these principles are likely to thrive in the long run. And, who knows, when those huge leases come due, they might gradually move toward allowing more hybrid or remote workers.

But for now, hybrid work arrangements like Starbucks’ might just be the compromise we need as we navigate this new era of work.

Related Reading

• Future of Work Might Require Rethinking Office Location
• Leading Remote Teams – Don’t Let Different Cities Stop You
• Return-to-Office Mandates Spark Rebellion