Apple Launches 'Global Volunteer Program' to Encourage Employees to Volunteer in Local Communities

[k995]

No one cares what you did you posture yourself to get attention from those you felt compelled to bore with your antics. Simply doing what's right doesn't need gratification, nor do individuals, groups or businesses need to publicize their good deeds. An exercise in narcissism: Look what I/us/we did!! I'm better than you and so are my intentions!! Bravo me!!

Isn't apple here doing the same?

How's that? After you write a check, what are your obligations?

You misunderstood, when I/charity writes a check it usually comes with strings attached.
Aka the aid is given to a certain type of people or some group I support at a certain time I deemed fit.

It would be better if aid is given to the people needing it, when they need it. With private charity its very hard to do that, a gouvernement that has no vested interests and has scale advantages can deliver this.

At least they don't borrow money then send it to (insert third-world country here). Who borrows with interest for charity, oh wait, the government does in the name of the people. Huzzah!!

So you don't have any loan out? Loans that typically are several times your annual income?

The very vast majority of people actually have a lot more debt if you look at the debt/income ratio then the US gov.

 

[MH01]

Right, because Apple only has 1 team that does EVERYTHING!

Not at all, though it's a simple fact of project management that BAU teams run on limited resouces, while project teams for new products get bloated to meet deadlines . The good peoplem get taken to projects. Not often you meet someone that wants to work support!

So..... The limited BAU team, what bugs should they fix next? Remember there is a huge backlog, and they can only get through so many

 

[poe diddley]

Volunteer debate aside, the employee pic kinda scares me. Attack of the clones is all I can think about.

 

[diipii]

So, Apple is putting pressure on employees to volunteer and give some of their wages away. This is something uniquely cynical, manipulating and degrading and points straight at the real rottenness of Apple.

 

[postpc]

The company I work for requires every employee to do 32 hours of volunteer work each year.

Interesting definition of "volunteer work".

 

[s2mikey]

Or they could just reduce their massive and ethically incomprehensible tax avoidance, which would pump money into communities commensurate with the amount of money they make out of those communities and act as a shining example for all the other multinationals that take the piss as well.

Yep. Hello, we have a winner. For all the "helping out people" BS that Apple and other companies spew, you'd think they would get it regarding tax avoidance and slave labor practices. Do they know what a few BILLION would do as far as helping people goes? Um...ehhh... Probably something positive.

But, they don't. That's because meat head shareholders always come first. So let's get low wage employees to spend their time helpong others while the big cats continue to avoid taxes, exploit workers and all that stuff.

Right.

No. Their wages are more than commensurate with the local economy.

Yeah, we've heard that before. So, because their wages are higher than the wages of people who make basically zero, we are calling that a good thing. That's typical Wall Street right there. Unbelievable. It's like saying the guy with stage 4 pancreatic cancer is "better off" than other cancer patients who have stage 5 pancreatic cancer. Terrific. Jump for joy.

 

[gnasher729]

So, Apple is putting pressure on employees to volunteer and give some of their wages away. This is something uniquely cynical, manipulating and degrading and points straight at the real rottenness of Apple.

That's one of the most ridiculous accusations that you could make. Employees can do volunteer work _and get paid their Apple salary_ while they do that. Basically instead of being entitled to x days of paid holidays, the employee is now entitled to x days of paid holidays, plus y days of paid volunteer work.

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I used the first person singular pronoun to recount a story in which I featured? Oh the shame. Perhaps you could illuminate us as to how I (oops, just did it again) might have told the story in a more self-effacing manner?

You could use the royal "we"?

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So, the employer "volunteers" you for a free labor in your community, you work for free, then Apple comes out looking good and takes credit for it... meanwhile, you just got used for profit under a "good samaritan" umbrella. What is more fascinating here is that people see no problem with it, and assume that it is OK for an employer to ask its employees to work for free. This thought alone should raise your eyes brows. What about Apple giving its product away for free to the local communities where it has its stores....? I can go on and on. Anyone with any understanding of free market economics will understand how absurd it is.

The volunteer doesn't work for free. They are not paid by whatever charity they work for, but they get their salary paid by Apple while they are volunteering, even though they are not working for Apple.


Really, the amount of Apple hate in this thread is incredible. The company makes a change that will benefit the communities where its employees live and work, and they come out with the most ridiculous accusations.

 

[Dr. Weezil]

Just say "work unpaid."

All workers "volunteer" their time as they are not forced or coerced into doing so.

 

[Trapezoid]

not like you have any iOS bugs to fix or anything.

I know right! I can't believe they're going to put business operations on hold so everyone can volunteer.

 

[doelcm82]

Interesting definition of "volunteer work".

Agreed, since we're being paid our regular wages to do it.

 

[Saucesome2000]

Or they could just reduce their massive and ethically incomprehensible tax avoidance, which would pump money into communities commensurate with the amount of money they make out of those communities and act as a shining example for all the other multinationals that take the piss as well.

Haha, someone has no idea how the American government works. Trust me, volunteerism is wayyyy more efficient than what our Congress would do with those tax dollars after their whittled down to nothing by the lobbyists, special interest groups, and payoffs to campaign donors.

Besides, the money they save with their tax "schemes" goes back into their bottom line and allows them to open more retail stores, hire more employees, give better raises, benefits, etc.

 

[phillipduran]

Or they could just reduce their massive and ethically incomprehensible tax avoidance, which would pump money into communities commensurate with the amount of money they make out of those communities and act as a shining example for all the other multinationals that take the piss as well.

Taxes suck and they should not be at the level of burden that they are currently.

We should engineer our tax system to be business friendly. We have space, resources and people who want to work, but our government makes the atmosphere for business so costly that businesses flee. What is ethically incomprehensible is the tax burden, spending and borrowing of our government.

 

[ChrisCW11]

Why not just give money to charities?

This is a lame program designed to get their employees to volunteer for free all to get Apple's name out there as a charitable organization, that makes 75 billion a quarter by ripping off that community and gives nothing back.

I know Steve Jobs was always secretive about charity claiming that charity should not about making a grand statement, but Jobs is gone an Apple is developing a reputation of not being an overly charitable organization that takes billions from their customers and just keeps asking for more.

Apple has enough money right now to solve many of the world's problems. It is said that world hunger could be solved with just 30 billion dollars. Apple just needs a few successful quarters like the last one and they can put that money towards ending world hunger, or investing heavily in next generation energy technologies, or even just inventing a new battery that could reduce the load that all their devices has being connected to a wall plug 5 times a day.

Instead, Apple would rather us gush over the idea of their employees volunteering at a soup kitchen which costs Apple nothing. What a vapid and transparent objective.

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Taxes suck and they should not be at the level of burden that they are currently.

We should engineer our tax system to be business friendly. We have space, resources and people who want to work, but our government makes the atmosphere for business so costly that businesses flee. What is ethically incomprehensible is the tax burden, spending and borrowing of our government.

Apple's accountants keep Apple from paying the vast bulk of taxes they should be paying in an effort to keep Apple insanely profitable and not giving anything back the US economy. The problem with the tax system today is companies like Apple STEAL billions from taxpayers in government incentives and then turn around and find loopholes and tax shelters which end up costing taxpayers even more.

Apple has done more to ruin the US economy by moving all their manufacturing jobs to China, to reduce their unit costs and maintain VERY HIGH profit margins on all their products.

While I know that taxes are a burden on the small company and startup, Apple is essentially a tax evader that spends millions a year on lawyers and accountants to avoid paying billions in taxes and find ways to move operations to cheaper locales at the expense of US jobs.

And then Apple turns around and wants their employees to volunteer in local communities in return? The problem here is NOT the tax system my friend in so much that it only allows glutinous companies like Apple to thrive and contribute more to chinese economy than the economy in your own community.

 

[Saucesome2000]

This is a lame program designed to get their employees to volunteer for free all to get Apple's name out there as a charitable organization, that makes 75 billion a quarter by ripping off that community and gives nothing back.

I know Steve Jobs was always secretive about charity claiming that charity should not about making a grand statement, but Jobs is gone an Apple is developing a reputation of not being an overly charitable organization that takes billions from their customers and just keeps asking for more.

Apple has enough money right now to solve many of the world's problems. It is said that world hunger could be solved with just 30 billion dollars. Apple just needs a few successful quarters like the last one and they can put that money towards ending world hunger, or investing heavily in next generation energy technologies, or even just inventing a new battery that could reduce the load that all their devices has being connected to a wall plug 5 times a day.

Instead, Apple would rather us gush over the idea of their employees volunteering at a soup kitchen which costs Apple nothing. What a vapid and transparent objective.

That is such a horribly ignorant claim. It could solve world hunger for how long, forever? No. Are people not going to be hungry next year? What happens after Apple spends the $30 billion three times and they have no more money?

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This is a lame program designed to get their employees to volunteer for free all to get Apple's name out there as a charitable organization, that makes 75 billion a quarter by ripping off that community and gives nothing back.

I know Steve Jobs was always secretive about charity claiming that charity should not about making a grand statement, but Jobs is gone an Apple is developing a reputation of not being an overly charitable organization that takes billions from their customers and just keeps asking for more.

Apple has enough money right now to solve many of the world's problems. It is said that world hunger could be solved with just 30 billion dollars. Apple just needs a few successful quarters like the last one and they can put that money towards ending world hunger, or investing heavily in next generation energy technologies, or even just inventing a new battery that could reduce the load that all their devices has being connected to a wall plug 5 times a day.

Instead, Apple would rather us gush over the idea of their employees volunteering at a soup kitchen which costs Apple nothing. What a vapid and transparent objective.

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Apple's accountants keep Apple from paying the vast bulk of taxes they should be paying in an effort to keep Apple insanely profitable and not giving anything back the US economy. The problem with the tax system today is companies like Apple STEAL billions from taxpayers in government incentives and then turn around and find loopholes and tax shelters which end up costing taxpayers even more.

Apple has done more to ruin the US economy by moving all their manufacturing jobs to China, to reduce their unit costs and maintain VERY HIGH profit margins on all their products.

While I know that taxes are a burden on the small company and startup, Apple is essentially a tax evader that spends millions a year on lawyers and accountants to avoid paying billions in taxes and find ways to move operations to cheaper locales at the expense of US jobs.

And then Apple turns around and wants their employees to volunteer in local communities in return? The problem here is NOT the tax system my friend in so much that it only allows glutinous companies like Apple to thrive and contribute more to chinese economy than the economy in your own community.

Yea, Apple gives nothing to the US economy. They don't provide any jobs, whatsoever.

Except that they employ almost 100K. Not to mention all of the employees that companies that sell their products have employed, like Best Buy and all of the cellular carriers. Oh, and Apple employees average $125K a year.

They give a lot more back that many, many other companies. Giving back to the U.S. economy is more than just how much you pay in taxes.

 

[djdj]

Or they could just reduce their massive and ethically incomprehensible tax avoidance, which would pump money into communities commensurate with the amount of money they make out of those communities and act as a shining example for all the other multinationals that take the p*** as well.

Right, because government is so much more efficient and personal than volunteers in the local community. Makes sense.

 

[sqa4life]

AT&T has been doing this for years and Apple just started now?

 

[SixtyK]

Am I the only one that finds it slightly odd that what seems to piss off MacRumors members the most is the mention of Apple and charity in the same sentence?

What the actual heck?

 

[KazuSnow]

Read:

One could "spread" from this? While it is (perhaps) a valid statement, you could have selected a different word that makes the statement more effective in conveying that one can "infer" from this.

You're attacking me for you applying this application of the word to your country of residence, in my country we use this freely to indicate that information was freely accessible...

 

[Saucesome2000]

You're attacking me for you applying this application of the word to your country of residence, in my country we use this freely to indicate that information was freely accessible...

The internet is America. Speak American or gtfo. /sarcasm.

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There are some serious bitches on this forum. Apple announces they are helping to increase charity work and they are getting torn apart. They would have done better in the eyes of you keyboard warriors to not increase their charitable work. Seriously, wtf is you people's problem? Did I accidentally end up on the BGR comment section?

I would be willing to bet the most critical commenters have done the least to help their local communities.

 

[farewelwilliams]

You're attacking me for you applying this application of the word to your country of residence, in my country we use this freely to indicate that information was freely accessible...

I'm not attacking you. I'm just "increasing your education".

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yeah you really want retail staff working on software, sounds like a google open source approach

volunteer program applies to corporate as well as retail.

 

[mediababy]

Or they could just reduce their massive and ethically incomprehensible tax avoidance, which would pump money into communities commensurate with the amount of money they make out of those communities and act as a shining example for all the other multinationals that take the piss as well.

You get the most informed opinion of the day award. Thank you for using the brain you were born with. I appreciate it.

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I can guarantee 'employees' will not be employed much longer if they don't do a specific amount of 'volunteering' on Apple's behalf.

It will happen, but it won't be written explicitly in their employee handbook anywhere. More tax avoidance using soft fuzzy wuzzy terms.

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Oh, and Apple employees average $125K a year.

I'll have to ask around to some of the Apple Store 'geniuses' & factory workers how many are cracking $125k per year. lol

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The internet is America. Speak American or gtfo. /sarcasm.

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There are some serious bitches on this forum. Apple announces they are helping to increase charity work and they are getting torn apart.

Use your brain & dig a little deeper before spreading it for Apple.

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If their were no massive tax avoidance opportunities, Apple would never interested in this. Bringing the employees into the equation is a double dip.

 

[Truffy]

Don't worry, just a quick assessment based on your attitude, this is unlikely to ever happen.

Yeah, and I can't smile and look like I've had my brain sucked outta my butt.