Starbucks' new CEO is being criticized for taking a private jet to the office
Starbucks' new CEO, Brian Niccol, has to come to the company's headquarters in Seattle three times a week. But while other employees commute by car or public transportation, Niccol will fly from her home in Newport Beach, Calif., to Seattle.
A Starbucks representative told CBS MoneyWatch that Niccol's schedule will comply with the hybrid work rules that apply to all employees. Niccol will be based in Seattle, where he will work at least three days a week.
But Niccol's plane ride has drawn criticism, particularly as it conflicts with Starbucks' pledges to reduce its carbon footprint by 2020. Users on social media accused the company of hypocrisy.
Clara Thompson, a climate activist from Greenpeace, called Starbucks' move "a symbol of climate injustice" and called on companies to refrain from giving workers such benefits.
Harvard Business School professor Raj Choudhury emphasized that remote work is a recruitment tool and that Starbucks can attract talent in this way. Columbia Business School professor Shivaram Rajgopal noted that Niccol's remote work may cause management problems.
