Starbucks to lay off 1,100 corporate staff

In a letter to employees on Monday, the coffee chain’s CEO Brian Niccol said the firings were part of the company’s plan to reevaluate the size of its global support teams. In addition to the 1,100 corporate employees slated to lose their jobs, Starbucks will also eliminate several hundred open and unfilled positions, he said. Niccol said the international brand is simplifying its structure and trying to create smaller, more nimble teams. Moving forward, Starbucks will also require senior leaders to work in-person at offices in Seattle or Toronto at least three days a week and the company will require future employees to work in-person as well. Some staff who currently work remotely will not be required to relocate.

What other shake-ups are happening at the company? Niccol last month said Starbucks will trim about 30% of its menu items by the end of the fiscal year. The company returned to its old system of writing customers’ names on their cups, not charging fees for non-dairy milk, and offering free refills. Starbucks also instituted a new code of conduct requiring anyone sitting in a cafe or using the bathroom to purchase an item.

Dig deeper: Read my report about Starbucks and Amazon workers going on strike before Christmas.