Starbucks Employees Sign Petition against Return to Office Mandate
Over dozen of corporate employees call for revision, while allegations of anti-union activity swirl and national labour relations board rules against Starbucks
Starbucks Employees Sign Petition against Return to Office Mandate
Dozens of Starbucks corporate employees have signed a petition against the official mandate to return to office, calling for the company to reverse its return-to-office hybrid work policy and to allow stores to unionize across the country.
The said move by the Starbucks employees was first reported by Bloomberg and later shared on Twitter by Starbucks Workers United, a union that has organized hundreds of Starbucks stores.
According to employees who signed the petition, “an unexpected and poorly planned return to office mandate is a priority for corporate control over productivity, diversity, and inclusion.”
The frustrated employees argued this policy reduces their “ability to positively impact the store partner experience” and negatively affects their job satisfaction.
But in January, Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, said that employees had to return to the office at least three days a week. He had previously asked employees to return to the office, but now he wants them to. Despite this, the petition calls for the company to reverse this policy and “commit to a policy of neutrality and respect for federal labour laws” to address alleged union-busting.
Sen. Bernie Sanders said that he plans to hold a vote on whether to summon Schultz to testify before Congress about allegations that Starbucks has been intimidating and terminating pro-union employees.
On the same day as the petition, he claims, that the letter signed against the return-to-office policy and the alleged union-busting are eroding trust in Starbucks’ leadership.
A spokesperson for Starbucks declined to comment to an insider on the contents of the letter, but acknowledged that members of the company’s leadership had received it.
On the other hand, Starbucks denied any anti-union activity and stated that it has not violated any labour laws, a recent ruling from the National Labor Relations Board found the company guilty of multiple violations, including one case at a Philadelphia store location. These findings suggest that the concerns raised by the employees in the petition may have some validity.
Starbucks is not the only major US brand brand that is facing issues over its office return policy. Other corporations like Amazon and Disney have also faced employee concerns and debates about the merits of such mandates in recent weeks.
However, the petition from Starbucks employees highlights the need for corporations to prioritize their employees’ concerns and satisfaction in the midst of the ongoing debate over the future of work that may become a big concern for the corporation in the near future.
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