Apple Employees Expected to Return to Offices in February

[ACHD]

Overall I'm pro work from home/remote work for many reasons, one of which is I think it's better to have highly paid workers spread out across the country rather than centrally focused in a single small area.

One negative I've noticed is the boundary between work hours and personal hours has been blurred to the point where for many it no longer exists, it was already deteriorating before but I think it has really ramped up now. Everyone is sending slack messages at all hours of the day and the expectation is you have to engage because other people do it. I think Poland have recently enacted laws that prevent bosses from sending people slack messages after work hours, other countries should adopt the same.

This is where you should set your hours in slack to show you are unavailable.
Or you can work with HR to get 1-2 hours+ extra on each check in a bulk time format for responding to items off the "normal" clock.

Otherwise set your hours and it will auto notify people. Businesses who are large do not necessarily like always on demand slack messages because it increases liability for unpaid work off the clock. Being SENT messages is not the issue... Having to reply though? That needs to be or should be outlined in your salaried packet or not allowed if hourly and not on call.

 

[bushman4]

FEBRUARY is a long way off in a pandemic anything can happen in two months
Apples judgement is usually good. I’m emphasizing the word usually

 

[Stella]

Sorry, but we can't keep living like this forever. The vaccines are out. If you don't want to get it, fine. But you have to live with the consequences of that (including potential death, potential joblessness, etc.).

If the vaccines weren't the finish line, then what exactly is to stop us from continuing restrictions forever? Because covid isn't going away (which means China's zero covid policy is complete nonsense).

You are mistaken, that we can't keep on living like this forever.. in terms of where we work - the subject of this topic.

This is the 'new norm'.

Where it is practicable, for example, IT, it is possible to work from home, or the office, or some hybrid model and still be effective and efficient. Employees want this flexibility and there are many companies out there who are embracing this because they have realized the positives outweigh the negatives, and have seen this model work over the months of COVID.

 

[Dreamweaver12]

I still dont understand the point of this ridiculous open campus when Apple employees are barely allowed to speak to anyone unless they have explicit permission.

 

[Stella]

Maybe some companies believe it’s their right to have a company culture the way they want. Let the employees go who don’t want to go along with the program and reward the ones that do.

Sure, and recruitment and retention will be harder and more expensive for those inflexible companies.

If current, or potential employees want the flexible option to work from home, they'll go to other companies who are flexible - those companies will get the talent.

Like I said earlier, it's companies are literally shooting themselves in the foot by being inflexible. Oh, and you can see retain company culture by having employees working out of office...

 

[Zeke92]

Apple’s software quality the last 2 years tells me all I need to know about whether in person collaboration is valuable. Return to office can’t happen soon enough for Apple.

You all are so delusional Apple’s software quality has declined LONG Before COVID. Possibly beginning in 2013-2014 and has largely remained the same throughout COVID

 

[Zeke92]

FEBRUARY is a long way off in a pandemic anything can happen in two months
Apples judgement is usually good. I’m emphasizing the word usually

It will inevitably be pushed back. COVID numbers will rise again because the vaccines aren’t long term

 

[I7guy]

Sure, and recruitment and retention will be harder and more expensive for those inflexible companies.

If current, or potential employees want the flexible option to work from home, they'll go to other companies who are flexible - those companies will get the talent.

Like I said earlier, it's companies are literally shooting themselves in the foot by being inflexible. Oh, and you can see retain company culture by having employees working out of office...

Maybe, maybe not. It depends on a lot of varying factors as I see it.

 

[I7guy]

It will inevitably be pushed back. COVID numbers will rise again because the vaccines aren’t long term

That’s what boosters are for. In a few years we’ll be taking a pill.

 

[Zeke92]

That’s what boosters are for. In a few years we’ll be taking a pill.

There will be major resistance to getting boosters shots every six months. Nor will there be broad protection with the need to get boosters so often. If booster get mandated, that will be the biggest blow to vaccination rates yet.

 

[I7guy]

There will be major resistance to getting boosters shots every six months. Nor will there be broad protection with the need to get boosters so often. If booster get mandated, that will be the biggest blow to vaccination rates yet.

For me and the people I know, if that is what it takes to possibly keep one healthy as much as possible, we will do what it takes. But that is my anecdotal observation.

 

[ctyrider]

No.

It has only just begun.

No.

It’s over.

 

[Mr.Brossard]

And the housing market in Idaho collapses in 3...2...1...

Good. We need some places to live where Californians haven't driven up the cost of housing. Though, Idaho wouldn't be my first choice. Also, how much work -- and of what quality -- do we all think is actually being done at home?

 

[fuchsdh]

It’ll be interesting to see where COVID numbers are in February and, if this gets moved again, what policies Apple puts in place.

I have to imagine they’re still going to see some attrition from this, though I’m sure many employees left or started making plans to leave when the initial policy was announced.

This will certainly limit the talent pool for them long term.

It’s Apple, I don’t think they care. Realistically if the prospective employees aren’t interested in spending part of the time in the office, they probably weren’t going to fit with Apple anyhow, and it’s better for both employer and employee to know that.

If it *doesnt* work for Apple they’ll change the policy, but why would they be more flexible if they don’t have to?

 

[jbfunk]

Screw that!!! Why is Cook being such a toolbag? Typical boss who wants to control the workers. Also really lame to see all the cucks on here telling workers to go back in person as if the building should compel them to return and they should be grateful. What a joke.

They're gonna have to wear masks most likely and they've all been just a productive from home if not more productive. Let them have freedom to continue to work remotely and come in as they please. This is a specific strategy by the employer to exercise control over the workers. Disappointing to not see more people on this site stand on the side of workers.

 

[sirozha]

Does that means we'll be getting better, more stable, and less buggy OS updates* starting in February?

* based on comments here from people who blamed the work-at-home Apple employees

It means that we won’t be getting any new iOS updates for a while, since any engineer worth a darn will leave.

 

[sirozha]

Timmy, turn the Spaceship into a fancy condo building, and the employees would love working there.

 

[sirozha]

Sorry, but we can't keep living like this forever. The vaccines are out. If you don't want to get it, fine. But you have to live with the consequences of that (including potential death, potential joblessness, etc.).

If the vaccines weren't the finish line, then what exactly is to stop us from continuing restrictions forever? Because covid isn't going away (which means China's zero covid policy is complete nonsense).

Very few things that China does nowadays are a complete nonsense. China is undermining the US hegemony in every way possible. COVID was one of them - released intentionally or not.

China is isolating itself from the western world under the pretext of the zero-tolerance policy toward COVID. Except, this time they are a hub of innovation as well as a hub of manufacturing. We, in the western world, are majorly screwed, and we did it to ourselves, having empowered China for four decades and having poured tens of trillions of dollars into its development as well as having educated tens of millions of their engineers and scientists.

The next move China makes is the annexation of Taiwan, calling our bluff on the commitment to defend it. We will not confront China militarily, which would be suicide for us, having allowed China to develop its military technology and power to exceed ours. Even if the US and Europe combine forces and resources to go to a conventional war against China over Taiwan, we will likely get defeated back into the Stone Age, while China’s population will drop to sustainable levels of about 500 million. A war with the West is a desired outcome for them in so many different ways, including the destruction of the West as well as the reduction of their own population back to manageable levels. Our greed has led us to the easily predictable outcome that I have been warning about for close to 30 years now.

 

[Abazigal]

I can’t help but notice that a lot of the pro-WFH rhetoric, which took over tech-oriented blogs and news sites for the better part of the past year, is showing signs of losing steam as more people get back into the swing of things.

I maintain that this WFH phenomenon has always been more about navigating the pandemic than it is about ushering a new paradigm of work. I can understand Apple transiting to a hybrid model (eg: 3 days back at the office, 2 days WFH) but expecting a company predicted on close collaboration between all departments to not require its employees to report back to the office ever, based on the premise that employees can and will just leave for greener pastures elsewhere?

I expect a lot of proponents to end up on the wrong side of history on this one.

 

[atoqir]

I can’t help but notice that a lot of the pro-WFH rhetoric, which took over tech-oriented blogs and news sites for the better part of the past year, is showing signs of losing steam as more people get back into the swing of things.

I maintain that this WFH phenomenon has always been more about navigating the pandemic than it is about ushering a new paradigm of work. I can understand Apple transiting to a hybrid model (eg: 3 days back at the office, 2 days WFH) but expecting a company predicted on close collaboration between all departments to not require its employees to report back to the office ever, based on the premise that employees can and will just leave for greener pastures elsewhere?

I expect a lot of proponents to end up on the wrong side of history on this one.

We will see what the future brings.

But I see this hybrid model and work more from home as the next evolution. Just like 10 years ago open floor plans were the newest thing.

Most of my friends and family (EU) that I talked about this are working in companies that are all introducing new policies for more hybrid working. It is already happening.

Also in my line of work there is a big shortage of IT workers and WFH really is dealbreaker for companies to find good qualified people. Why should we sit in an office to connect to our cloud based servers. Or why should we sit in the Office to be in Teams call with people working elsewhere all day. Doesn't make much sense.

 

[Abazigal]

We will see what the future brings.

But I see this hybrid model and work more from home as the next evolution. Just like 10 years ago open floor plans were the newest thing.

Most of my friends and family (EU) that I talked about this are working in companies that are all introducing new policies for more hybrid working. It is already happening.

Also in my line of work there is a big shortage of IT workers and WFH really is dealbreaker for companies to find good qualified people. Why should we sit in an office to connect to our cloud based servers. Or why should we sit in the Office to be in Teams call with people working elsewhere all day. Doesn't make much sense.

I am not saying WFH won’t work. It can, but mainly for companies built and designed to thrive on it. Apple is a company built on close collaboration between all the respective departments in order to achieve the tight integration it’s famed for. And I still believe the best meetings happen when everyone is in the same room butting heads and hashing out ideas.

I feel that it is simply not in Apple’s best interests to offer WFH as a permanent option for its employees, simply because this is not what powers its design-led process. The causality will be worse products to show for it (and I think we are already starting to see problems crop up with ios 15 and Monterey, though I can’t say for certain of it’s due to WFH realities creeping in.

And if we say that the best employees will leave because of it, than I feel that it is a risk Apple is going to have to be willing to take, because an average worker at campus may still be able to contribute more effectively than an experienced engineer conferencing from home half way across the globe.

To the people able to WFH on a permanent basis and have better work-life balance because of it, I am happy for them and wish them all the best. I just don’t think this arrangement is going to work for Apple,

 

[BvizioN]

It’ll be interesting to see where COVID numbers are in February

Why are people so obsessed with COVID numbers? I can't even remember people being obsessed with Flu numbers? With malaria numbers? With tuberculosis numbers? Millions who die each year as a result of pollution? So much hype and scaremongering propaganda around for something that is essentially nothing more than a bad flu.

 

[incoherent_1]

Demonstrably after almost 2 years, forcing people back to offices like this is not necessary. I'm seeing it in my workplace too - we're losing staff to recruiters who sell "100% remote" as a benefit... A ping-pong table in the office with a depersonalized workspace isn't enough anymore - what are we asking people to come back to?

I agree in most cases, but at-home work is not suited for technology work at such a secretive level (to the point that security requirements are needed to prevent leaks and corporate espionage from competitors/foreign countries).

They “made do” for 2 years because they had to, but we saw more leaks and less impressive software as a result, and those are just the implications we know about. Anyone working at Apple would’ve known all of this when they signed on. I can speak from experience.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Too soon Tim, mid-winter is too soon.

 

[Robert.Walter]

I agree in most cases, but at-home work is not suited for technology work at such a secretive level (to the point that security requirements are needed to prevent leaks and corporate espionage from competitors/foreign countries).

They “made due” for 2 years because they had to, but we saw more leaks and less impressive software as a result, and those are just the implications we know about. Anyone working at Apple would’ve known all of this when they signed on. I can speak from experience.

Nonsense. Nobody knows anything like this when they sign up. Also, vast majority of the leaks are coming out of Asian supply base as they did before the pandemic began.

Ps it’s “make do”, not “make due”.