Starbucks’ newly appointed boss, Brian Niccol, has come under fire after it emerged he would travel nearly 1,000 miles (1,600km) from his family home in Newport Beach, California to the company’s Seattle headquarters on a corporate jet.
Critics on social media have pointed out the discrepancy between the company’s public stance on green issues and the lifestyles of its top executives.
Mr Niccol is expected to take over the helm of the world’s largest coffee chain on September 9.
Starbucks has not yet responded to a request for comment from the BBC.
Mr. Niccol job offer said he would not be “required to relocate to company headquarters”, but added: “He agrees to travel from his residence to company headquarters… as required to perform his duties and responsibilities”.
The document states that he will be eligible to use the company’s aircraft for “business-related travel” and “business-in-between” travel. [his] city of residence and company headquarters”.
Starbucks also said it would set up a small remote office in Newport Beach for Mr. Niccol to use while working in California.
Starbucks has one hybrid work policy That means employees must be present in the office at least three days a week.
The company has not confirmed whether the same rules apply to Mr. Niccol or whether his work from a new remote office in California would meet those requirements.
His employment terms have sparked a backlash on social media.
“Great… convenient for top talent! But hopefully we don’t see too many new ‘sustainable’ and ‘environmental’ related ads from @starbucks? *wink*,” said an X user.
“Starbucks’ new CEO is ‘super-traveling’ 1,000 miles to Seattle on a private jet for work, so don’t be too hard on the waitress who gives you a plastic straw when you don’t want one,” another person said.
The topic of where people work has been debated in recent years, as companies across many industries have struggled to decide whether to continue embracing the remote work model that has exploded during the coronavirus pandemic.
Some industries, like banking, have signaled early that they will expect employees to return to the office full-time, while others, often in tech, have said they will allow remote work indefinitely. Many have opted for a hybrid approach.
Others focused on the salary Mr Niccol would be paid in his new job.
“Why do we never talk about CEO pay when we talk about rising prices?” Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich posted.
Under the terms of his offer, Mr Niccol will receive a base annual salary of $1.6m (£1.2m). He could also receive a performance bonus of up to $7.2m and up to $23m a year in Starbucks shares.
ONE report A 2021 United Nations report found that the world’s richest 1% emit twice the carbon emissions of the poorest 50%.
Starbucks has announced This month, Mr. Niccol will replace Laxman Narasimhan as chief executive.
The announcement comes as the coffee chain looks to boost sagging sales.
Mr. Niccol has led Mexican fast-food chain Chipotle since 2018, helping it recover from a crisis caused by food poisoning outbreaks.
During his tenure, the company’s sales doubled and its stock rose from under $7 to over $50.
Chipotle also opened nearly 1,000 new stores and introduced new technology to automate food preparation.
In recent months, this has been seen as a bright spot in the restaurant industry, as many businesses report that customers are cutting back on spending.
