Starbucks tightens return-to-office policy, urges relocations for corporate leaders

Starbucks will require corporate employees to work in-office four days a week and mandate relocation for people leaders to Seattle or Toronto, aligning with broader corporate shifts toward in-person work

Seattle: Starbucks is ramping up its return-to-office mandate, requiring more corporate employees to be physically present at its headquarters and urging some to relocate to Seattle or Toronto.

In a letter to employees on Monday, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Laxman Narasimhan said corporate staff must work four days per week in the office starting early October, up from the current three days.

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In a significant shift, all corporate “people leaders”—a broad category including managers and above—must relocate to either Seattle or Toronto within 12 months. This is an expansion of the policy introduced in February, which applied only to vice presidents. Starbucks clarified that employees reporting to these leaders will not be required to move, though all future hiring or lateral transfers will be restricted to Seattle or Toronto.

“We are reestablishing 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,” Narasimhan said in the memo.

Employees who choose not to relocate will be offered a voluntary exit program with a one-time cash payout, the company confirmed.

While remote work gained popularity during the pandemic, a growing number of large employers—including Amazon, AT&T, and various U.S. federal agencies—are pushing for in-person attendance five days a week. The job market for fully remote roles remains highly competitive.

Starbucks spokeswoman Lori Torgerson declined to specify the number of employees affected by the new policy, noting that Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees globally, including coffee roasters and warehouse personnel.

Notably, when Narasimhan was appointed CEO in August 2023, he was not required to move to Seattle. The company initially supported him in establishing an office near his Newport Beach, California, home and provided access to a corporate jet for commuting. However, Starbucks confirmed that he has since purchased a home in Seattle and now works frequently from the headquarters.