Starbucks Wants Corporate Staff in the Office Four Days a Week

“Back to Starbucks” means back to the office, too.

Starbucks’ (SBUX) corporate employees must report to the office four days a week—instead of three—beginning in October, CEO Brian Niccol said Monday, making it the latest high-profile U.S. employer to move to bring people back to the office more frequently.

Reestablishing Starbucks’ “in-office culture” will help the company move quickly and creatively as it attempts a comeback, Niccol wrote in a letter to employees that was also published on the company’s public web site. Starbucks will provide a one-time cash payment to support those who’d rather leave the company, Niccol added.

“We know we’re asking a lot of every partner as we work to turn the business around. And we understand that the updated in-office culture may not work for everyone,” the letter said. “If you decide you want to leave Starbucks for any reason, we respect that.”

The company has also said that while individuals would not be asked to relocate, hiring for lateral moves and future roles would require the people be in Seattle or Toronto.

The new policy comes five months after Starbucks said it would lay off 1,100 corporate workers as part of its turnaround campaign. The cafe chain shortly before the layoffs said its corporate headcount was 16,000.

Niccol unveiled a plan to counter sluggish sales in September. His “Back to Starbucks” campaign calls for serving customers within four minutes, and cultivating an inviting atmosphere for those looking to spend time in cafes. A new afternoon menu may also be in the works, Niccol said.

Starbucks shares fell about 1.6% Monday, but have ticked up about 2.4% so far this year. Read Investopedia’s live coverage of today’s trading here.