More layoffs expected at Starbucks
Another big round of layoffs is expected at Starbucks, possibly 1,000 people — a third of its headquarters employees — and some district managers and field employees, according to an e-mail sent to a stock brokerage's customers Friday.
"The cuts might be next week or in February," wrote Diane Daggatt, a managing director at McAdams Wright Ragen in Seattle.
Starbucks declined to comment on possible layoffs. The Seattle coffee company releases its first-quarter results on Wednesday.
That will be a relief to dispirited workers who have begun to question changes at the store level since Howard Schultz reclaimed the CEO spot one year ago this month.
At first inspired by Schultz's return to the helm, they wonder now where Starbucks is headed. Many fear for their jobs
The Seattle coffee company slashed more than 2,000 jobs last year, including 1,000 in July that included 180 positions in Seattle. At that time, about 3,500 people worked at its headquarters.
It did not disclose how many people lost jobs when it closed the U.S. stores, except to say that 300 workers from the first 50 closures were not reassigned to other locations.
"They have us cornered," said one East Coast store manager who asked not to be named. "They know the economy is bad right now, and we can't afford to walk out."
He ticked off a list of disappointments, from changes that make it harder for managers to earn bonuses, to a cut in hours that makes it harder to train baristas and keep stores clean.
Then there are the mixed messages from corporate,
Starbucks has decided not to guarantee a 401(k) match for employees this year.