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Upon closer examination...
appleholidaygift2016.jpg
 
Last year apple staff got $190 in gifts:
http://fortune.com/2015/12/15/apple-gives-employees-gift-of-music/
this year a $2 gift
I know that its 'the thought that counts' but thats nearly a 99% decrease in 12 months.
If I worked for apple I would be slightly demotivated right now after 12 months graft.
I understand all companies are different but its not like apple a short of a bob or two.
Your staff are your greatest asset in any business, you have to look after them.
I find it very surprising as I have most things apple in 2016 - it just rounds things off.
Dreadful year for them hopefully things will improve in 2017
 
"We are here to enrich lives.
To help dreamers become doers,
to help passion expand human potential…”

That was true when PC’s and other consumer electronics were new. They were taken seriously by early adopters. But the vast majority of owners use the products to simply consume (shop, listen to music, watch videos, etc.) and socialize. Nothing wrong with that except that it doesn’t jibe with Apple’s rhetoric. Rather, it explains why product colors and emoji are Apple’s selling features these days rather than improvements to technology itself.
 
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I'd shorten Apple's credo to something more clear and concise, like:

We build the best personal computers, bar none.
 
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Well I do contract work and got a fruit basket from a repeat customer that I did not work for at all this year. It was not a mistake and it fits our relationship. It was not much, I appreciated the thought (which was the purpose), but it certainly is better than a tee shirt and a credo. I think this is very telling about the state of Apple these days. The worst part to me is the credo. WTF, is this gesture about the employee or about Apple reprogramming the employee with propaganda.

Oh, wait, I forgot political correctness indicates that we should be happy when we are told to be happy and only protest when we are paid to protest. Sorry, I got off track.

heh, one of my clients just sent over a baked by melissa care package.. idk, i'm freaking hyped on that.. it's what, maybe $25 gift? so what.. the apple tshirt is worth more than that.. i highly doubt it's some bobo itchy hanes tshirt which has been silk screened.. probably a really nice tshirt.. i'd be hyped on that too.

that said, i spent most of my main xmas bonus yesterday:

s-l1600.jpg

H_Y_P_E_D__!!!
:D

-----
whatever.. most of the posters here sound miserable.. oh well.. not my problem i suppose ; )

macrumors is getting worse and worse by the day.. it's like a collection of miserable people who just sit around and whine about a freaking corporation.. all of you all gather at this one spot so it seems like "oh, hey.. everybody feels the same as i do so it's ok".. but reality is, the rest of the world or the rest of the internets aren't even this miserable..
time for me to move on i think.. not much to be gained from hanging around here any more.
 
Where's the gift? I would be insulted if I worked there. This is obviously to hype their new billion dollar corporate headquarter building. This isn't a gift, its an insult to the tremendously hard working, underpaid people at Apple. Even as a Christmas party, party favor.... from Apple its cheap. Besides, it looks like some weird, spooky, Blair Witch occult symbol. Sorry Apple, big miss on this one. What next, are they going to bottle Jony's farts and put it on a neck dongle? Paleeze...

Then please do not work in Apple retail, an attitude like that will not get you far in the company. As for being underpaid, that couldn't be more from the truth. When I was in Apple Retail, just starting as a specialist I made a good 20-25% more than other retail locations in that plaza, which was an upscale location paying $3-5 more over the retail standard in my area.

There are literally hundreds of other perks to working in Apple Retail, least of them being a holiday gift. We did have a huge holiday bash, and little expense was spared. We had a blast. And I only got moderately plastered.
 
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IMHO this is a bad gift regardless of how you view it.

Sure, it's free and they're not obligated to give employees anything BUT the messaging isn't at all correct and warm.

If they truely wanted to provide a warm heartfelt feeling in a premium limited shirt, they would have gone with some kick ass jawdropping custom design while maybe even using some high quality sportswear material (imagine how bad ass jogging or exercising in that would be as an employee)

or an Apple Scarf & Blanket to keep you warm during the cold holiday season, or any other fricking gift.

INSTEAD they went the corporate heartless route with a bland grey shirt with close to 0 design and no quality.
and to top it off, it comes with some corporate credo. C'mon, a simple card/print with Thank You or Happy Holidays or ANYTHING general like that would have been leagues better.
 
Well that sucks. Hope they get a decent bonus.


That IS the bonus.
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Then please do not work in Apple retail, an attitude like that will not get you far in the company. As for being underpaid, that couldn't be more from the truth. When I was in Apple Retail, just starting as a specialist I made a good 20-25% more than other retail locations in that plaza, which was an upscale location paying $3-5 more over the retail standard in my area.

There are literally hundreds of other perks to working in Apple Retail, least of them being a holiday gift. We did have a huge holiday bash, and little expense was spared. We had a blast. And I only got moderately plastered.

Just because they pay a few bucks more than the Cinnebun does not make it right dude. They exploit labor here and in the third world. Wake up.
 
I worked for MicroAge (at one point a Fortune 500 company) and they gave us coffee table books for holiday gift. The books were a history of the company. They actually had dust jackets and consistent with the times of real books, there was a price on the inside cover of $55.00. Of course no one would actually buy books like that. It was strictly vanity and probably cost the company $3 to print but listed it as a business expense of $55 (they played accounting tricks). When I left the company, like everyone else, the book was left behind in the filing cabinet.
Three years later the company was declaring chapter 11. one of the founders bought the name from a creditor and has built a new company with the old name.
 
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I always enjoy your posts. This one is spot on. For the other posters that think all the other perks make up for this, they don't realize that if the company can afford all the 'extra' perks, then they should outshine themselves with an outstanding holiday bonus. The t-shirt just reflects the way Apple has become under TC.
A company holiday gift and a (holiday or otherwise) bonus are fairly different and separate things--one doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the other.
 
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Thats nice of you. Do you also give them thousands of dollars a year in stock in the company? How about retirement plans? How about giving them an extra $500 every few years to help buy a computer? Get them a nice discount on their cell phone bill? Pay tuition reimbursement for education? Pay full benefits even for part timers? Health, Dental and Vision? Life insurance? Give 8 weeks paid time off when they have a kid? How about extra paid vacation days every year, "just because"? How about discounts for in home care for sick family members that may be terminally ill? Or even paid days off to help take care of a sick family member? Maybe you buy lunch and food for them during holidays so they don't have to spend their money on lunch? Gym reimbursement so they can stay healthy? Free flu shots? Get the picture...I can keep going. I guarantee working for you is nowhere near as rewarding as working fro Apple Retail.

Your last sentence cracks me up. Do you think just because they have good benefits, the employees are more satisfied then mine?? So you are defending Apple on the choice of Christmas bonus?? I'm glad I don't work for you.

I'm pretty sure this is the least expensive, and least thoughtful "gift" Apple has even given for a bonus. I'm guessing it cost them less than $3 per employee. Thats no bonus. Thats a slap in the face.

Technically, my 3 techs aren't employees at all. They are subcontractors. I am not obligated to give them squat. But I do cause its the right thing to do.

My lead tech has been with me for 2 years. This year Ive given him 2 weeks paid vacation (which I don't have to), bought him a new set of tires for his truck, slipped a hundred dollar bill on the seat of his truck 3 times, taken him to a nice dinner 3 times, paid for his lunch at least 50 times. I could go on and on with all the nice things I do for him. He has no set schedule, and can show up for work when he wants, and quit for the day when he wants. Oh, and I bailed him out of jail, when nobody else would. He would have spent a few months at least in there. I put up the title to my trailer and off road toys to get him out. I had only known him for a few months when that happened. He has since changed his life completely...quit drinking and drugs and cleaned up his life. He will make just under 80K this year. If he chose to work a couple more hours a day, or work Saturdays, he would clear 100K...For repairing swimming pools. Sounds pretty satisfying to me.

My newest tech has been with 2 months. He received the same $500 bonus as the others. I paid him for Thanksgiving day off (which I don't have to). He is making almost twice what he was with his previous employer, doing essentially the same job. He cried and thanked me when I handed him a $1750 paycheck last week, for one weeks worth of work. I'd say he's very satisfied with his job.

I don't think any of my guys would be more satisfied working at Apple. thats for sure.
 
macrumors is getting worse and worse by the day.. it's like a collection of miserable people who just sit around and whine about a freaking corporation.. all of you all gather at this one spot so it seems like "oh, hey.. everybody feels the same as i do so it's ok".. but reality is, the rest of the world or the rest of the internets aren't even this miserable..
time for me to move on i think.. not much to be gained from hanging around here any more.

16 GB.
 
Steve was known to give cheap ass gifts as well. Cutting free iPods etc was under his watch.

It may have to do with changes in gift laws that make them taxed as income in many states and several companies but yeah it's rather lame.
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Retail has never gotten commissions or bonuses other than maybe managers
Years ago ALL retail employees received bonuses. It was changed to only managers when first phone was released.
 
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