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I see what you're saying. I'm still a little jaded because having worked for one of the most profitable companies in the world, we were terribly underpaid. (Check out what your Apple retail folks get paid at GlassDoor.)

The internal perks were always a little low, although appreciated. Most years they gave away an Apple branded hoodie for Christmas. Most of us would have really loved one of those "Christmas Bonus Checks" that we heard customers in our stores talking about. They would buy new computers with a bonus check, we'd run out to our cars fighting holiday mall traffic after work wearing our hoodies. It seemed unfair, so my post is probably laden with that resentment.

Sadly that's the way it is these days. The bosses get the big bonuses and the staff, who are the company really, get nothing. I've never had a gift from an employer or a bonus. My Partners employer does offer their staff a bonus, but only if they reach their (impossible to hit) targets. Of course they never see their bonus. The senior managers always get theirs of course.

I'm now self employed so this year my Christmas gift to myself was an iPad Pro, which I think was very generous of myself. I may even stay another year. LOL
 
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Sadly that's the way it is these days. The bosses get the big bonuses and the staff, who are the company really, get nothing. I've never had a gift from an employer or a bonus. My Partners employer does offer their staff a bonus, but only if they reach their (impossible to hit) targets. Of course they never see their bonus. The senior managers always get theirs of course.

I'm now self employed so this year my Christmas gift to myself was an iPad Pro, which I think was very generous of myself. I may even stay another year. LOL

Where I work now, the head guy just got a 25% pay increase (something in order of $50,000). Everyone else got a 1% cost of living raise. Since inflation is typically 3-4% annually, that seems fair.

Since I make less than $50,000, you can bet I loved hearing that.
 
Where I work now, the head guy just got a 25% pay increase (something in order of $50,000). Everyone else got a 1% cost of living raise. Since inflation is typically 3-4% annually, that seems fair.

Since I make less than $50,000, you can bet I loved hearing that.

Always aim to be the head guy :)
 
So you want Apple to be like most companies?



No, I expect companies to share their success with the folks that make them successful. I expect retail workers who don't get paid enough to buy every subscription and product offered to still use those products to give me informed decisions. I expect that a company sheltering money in Europe and with enough cash in American banks to buy most other companies to reward their employees. As a former employee of Apple retail I'm not just casually commenting on this, I'm speaking with a detailed and intricate understanding of a retail employee's full compensation package. As a stockholder, regular reader and enthusiast I'm speaking with authority on my knowledge of their infrastructure, contracts, liabilities and abilities and as a compassionate human I'm speaking about doing what is right for the people who often work the hardest for the smallest compensation. If that isn't grown up to you, then maybe you need to reevaluate your definition of maturity.

I get where you're coming from and it sounds ideal but it's not realistic.

As an AAPL shareholder, you should know that they are required by law to maximize profits and that the money they have in the bank doesn't belong to them, but to the shareholders.

Also, no one is forced to work at Apple retail. They are free to work elsewhere or start their own business.

Instead of expecting more from companies, perhaps you should start your own company and put your money where your mouth is.
 
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It's about time this site became macwhiners - I look at the comments for a laugh as I know so many of you will moan about anything Apple do. If they gave everyone an iPad they would be wasting money, if they give nothing (like most companies throughout he world) they would be cheap. They bring out a product but it isn't what you want so you whine, you don't like the new building, and of course the company is going down the pan and will be liquidated within 3 years as they just can't do anything right.

It's funny how in fact they keep going from strength to strength, yeah they make mistakes, most companies do but because people don't care about those companies (they don't have fans or haters, they just don't matter that much) nobody really notices.

In the UK it's unusual to get a Christmas bonus now and if there is a Christmas party it's usually people paying out of their own pockets, most companies just don't give stuff away (of course some do but none of my friends are getting anything for free). Apple employees all got a set of earphones - whatever you think of them they cost money - and then they get something else for free. If your employer gives you more then you are very lucky. You get paid to go to work, you shouldn't need a bonus in celebration of a religious festival that you may not even believe in.

In a world where so many have so little it's a shame there is so much greed and selfishness and people are so ungrateful.
 
The service is worthless and music is free. That's what you get when you give it away. Apple just killed the music industry.

*edit* All employees receive Beats earbuds, too. That's nice! It's a good holiday gift. Thanks Obama!

That post made NO sense. Giving what away? Apple has to subsidize those subscriptions. They aren't "free" in any sense of the word except to the employees.

They "killed" the music industry? WTF are you talking about?

The Obama comment tells me all I need to know about you, really including the strange logic. ;)

I'm one of those schmucks who grew up pouring money in records and CDs - combined about 850 all up. There is no way I'm paying for music ever again. I've done my bit for the industry.

Does that mean you don't buy or listen to music anymore or that you've decided to become a pirate?

But it's time the young whippersnappers started putting out some cash to sustain the industry you cheap b'stards.

Says the person who will never pay for music again. o_O

Personally, I bought a couple of dozen LPs last year (far more than CDs or digital files). They're not hard to find online, even older ones (I got Wild Cherry LPs brand new in the shrink wrap made in the late 1970s and didn't pay more than $15 for a single one (most were $8-11). If you figure inflation, that was a pretty good deal. Of course, I have a number of very limited made 1990s records that are worth as much as $800 (i.e. Pink Floyd PULSE LP set never opened). Selling that one LP alone would pay for about 70-80 CDs or so.

I used to pay 30bucks a CD

I think you got ripped. I don't think I ever paid more than $28 for a single CD and those were Japanese imports of albums you couldn't get in the U.S. I don't think domestic single album CDs ever cost me more than $18 from 1987 to the present. Most were $12-14 for new releases and I got hundreds from CD clubs for prices probably averaging around $5-6.

10-15 bucks a month. That's all Apple music or its rivals cost

I have months where I don't listen to music at all except in the car (busy at home doing other things including other media like movies, games & TV). It's not a good deal if you don't use it.

Meanwhile, let's see. 800 albums over let's say 30 years. At let's say $12 a month (averaging your $10-15 example), that would be $4200 over 30 years for digital streaming for that time (making a hell of an assumption about prices staying constant) and 800 albums at an average of $10 for digital albums to buy and you're $8000 total. Personally, I doubt most "average" people ever bought anywhere near 800 albums in their lifetime and certainly wouldn't listen to them that much. I have closer to 400 CDs plus a few dozen LPs and some digital singles as well, maybe 5000 songs worth total in iTunes. 500 total albums puts that figure at $5000 compared to $4200 for streaming at $12 (or $5400 at $15). Suddenly, the figures don't look so far off, after all.

Now how many of those songs would you actually LISTEN to? Half? One fourth? I say that because I have gobs of albums where I only like a song or two and after the first few listens, skipped the rest, but I still had to pay for them for all that time and that is the beauty of streaming. If you don't like something, you can find something else.

. Yeah yeah, the music industry brought this on itself and music today is just tragic for the most part, but still, for that little amount of money, why aren't people subscribing?

I don't subscribe because I already own 5000+ songs and I don't get off listening to random crap on the radio. I want to hear music I actually LIKE. And if I like it, I probably already bought it.
 
9 month sub?

Just me or is that just weird. Usually its 1, 3, or 12.

Also just make it a year, not going to hurt.
 
In a world where so many have so little it's a shame there is so much greed and selfishness and people are so ungrateful.

How is it greedy for us to want better for someone else? I won't benefit if the employees got a free year instead of 9 months. Really, it's a small gripe. If you are disparaged by negativity on the internet, you're in for a very tough life.
 
And my company gave everyone nothing. ;)

Got confirmation from HR that no one in your 10K company got nothing? I very much suspect that people got bonuses, it's based on the level of the individual and contract conditions. I bet there are some higher execs having a good xmas bonus . It's just that big companies don't make it transparent who gets what.
 
Got confirmation from HR that no one in your 10K company got nothing? I very much suspect that people got bonuses, it's based on the level of the individual and contract conditions. I bet there are some higher execs having a good xmas bonus . It's just that big companies don't make it transparent who gets what.
A "gift" at Christmas and a bonus in the 4th QTR are not really the same thing. I have worked at places where we got both. The downside was that people felt like the money for the gift (when it was expensive) negatively effected their bonus, so a lot of people said they would rather have money than a "gift" they didn't want and a gift that was the same for the worst employee as it was for the best.

Personally, I would consider a bonus as part of my salary package, but a gift would typically be a trinket that I would not even take into account when deciding on taking/keeping a job.

Reading this thread reminds of that movie Christmas Vacation. If Apple gave this "gift" in replacement of a normal bonus/pay (Jelly of the Month Club comes to mind), then there is reason to complain. If they gave this gift as an "extra" outside of bonuses/pay, then I don't really see what the complaining is about. Even "Sparky" would have smiled at the "Jelly of the Month gift" if it did not replace his bonus.

(The ironic thing is that the employee may have to pay taxes on this "gift" as supplemental income, so personally, I would rather have cash and make my own choices.)
 
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Chocolate chip. It was okay, not a terrible cookie, but only because it was free. It would have been a disappointing cookie had I paid for it.
Yea man I know exactly what you mean. I mean, I won't argue with a free cookie, but for a special occasion, I'd want a solid bakery cookie.
 
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A "gift" at Christmas and a bonus in the 4th QTR are not really the same thing. I have worked at places where we got both. The downside was that people felt like the money for the gift (when it was expensive) negatively effected their bonus, so a lot of people said they would rather have money than a "gift" they didn't want and a gift that was the same for the worst employee as it was for the best.

Personally, I would consider a bonus as part of my salary package, but a gift would typically be a trinket that I would not even take into account when deciding on taking/keeping a job.

Reading this thread reminds of that movie Christmas Vacation. If Apple gave this "gift" in replacement of a normal bonus/pay (Jelly of the Month Club comes to mind), then there is reason to complain. If they gave this gift as an "extra" outside of bonuses/pay, then I don't really see what the complaining is about. Even "Sparky" would have smiled at the "Jelly of the Month gift" if it did not replace his bonus.

(The ironic thing is that the employee may have to pay taxes on this "gift" as supplemental income, so personally, I would rather have cash and make my own choices.)

I stand corrected, you are right. A gift is usually under x amount given to employees. .
 
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Apple Music subscriptions for the employees cost the company NOTHING but server access cycles. The company looses nothing when additional individuals access the digital files (but a fraction or two electrical usage). Remember its all virtual. Having the retail employees being able to experience the Apple Music service will help them talk about the service to customers and help the employees understand issues when customers approach them with questions.

Actually Apple has to pay the artists/label every time a song is streamed. So this does cost the company money. As an aside this 'Mac Rumor' is completely false. Nobody is getting free Apple Music.
 
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