Starbucks is continuing to take an employee-light approach as tensions between labor unions ramp up.
The coffee-chain giant is turning to automation that will take the place of many in-store tasks.
Incoming CEO Laxman Narasimhan will lead the transition to a more automated coffee shop, taking the power away from employees seeking higher wages and more benefits.
Starbucks isn’t alone in this shift, either. Many other companies such as McDonald’s and Target have incorporated their own form of automation as demand for higher pay runs concurrently with high inflation.
While this is great for efficiency, workers must make their own moves in order to stand apart in the future of work.
This could mean reskilling to learn how to work alongside automated technology, or upskilling to fit into the new positions that will be inevitable in a modern workplace.
