Apple Staff Complain About Plans for Return to Office Work in Letter to Tim Cook

[MVMNT]

We’ve become accustomed to what we’ve not got around us wfh, but that was never the plan really was it. We’re all having to adapt and still stay safe at the same time.

Three is better than five. Apple - and every other company right now - are trying to strike a balance between what they can offer employees, but what will work being one of the biggest companies in the world and they would have spent time identifying what needs to be done.

 

[unfunfionn]

The indefatigable desire of some people on the internet to come to the defense of a poor, mistreated corporation never fails to surprise me.

 

[MichalM.Mac]

The most interesting thing about this email is the way it's written. It has all the right keywords like diversity, inclusivity, environment, disability, etc. Apple and Tim Cook specifically are big supporters of these. But this time it is kind of used agains them. If they ignore or mishandle this situation they are going to look bad.

 

[Neodym]

Wow - so many old-fashioned opinions here: Just go back to how it was before COVID. Continue to kill the climate, waste lifetime in traffic jams, let germs (you don’t believe this was the last pandemic, do you?) have a party in public transport and open offices …

Getting together in a central space for work was mainly an invention of the Industrial Age. We are now in the Information Age. Many jobs are location-independent and computers and networks are powerful enough to allow for a modern workflow, which is not necessarily locked to a central workplace anymore.

Sure, it gets more difficult and complex to manage a distributed team, but hey: Reality is that more and more teams are already multi-locational anyway. And all these theories of people connecting in open spaces can only come (and be supported) from people who don’t sit in such open offices themselves.

Reality is that an open office is loud and people come by for just a chat, without asking whether it would suit you currently. Perhaps those chit-chat people are the loudest advocates for returning to the offices, I don’t know.

And commuting is another huge issue: The “we always did it this way“ is so boring! Yes, we did it and probably the vast minority was happy to waste time in traffic jams or generally in commuting, just to come to the office.

Driving a 2-ton SUV to transport 80kg of wetware (a.k.a. a human) from A to B is a thing of the past. There are studies about the positive impact on the climate when suddenly individual transportation went down massively, with many people working from home.

Many business travels can already be avoided by modern communication means (sorry folks, no more company-financed parties abroad) - and office work is the logical next step. It may not suit everyone for various reasons (e.g. space or self-discipline as well as company interests), but for those who want (and whose workplace/tasks allow for it), a modern company should offer the option of up to 100% working from home and organize the necessary infrastructure.

 

[smwl]

Deleted

 

[msp3]

So the lazy, ineffectual, and the entitled just signed onto a list that Apple can prioritize layoffs for. Sounds great to me

 

[Feyl]

I agree with this.

First point is yes, millions worldwide have lost jobs due to the pandemic. Apple, Like many others tried to be accommodating and flexible during the pandemic to help staff.

The pandemic is not going on forever. vaccination rates are rising and this disease needs to be lived with in the same way we live with the flu.

It is totally Apple’s decision as to how their company works and whether the remote working is appropriate for their needs. I’d have said 3 days a week is more than generous as a compromise. Back when I had an office job I’d have loved the opportunity for home working but it wasnt an option and thats that. Monday to Friday in the office like it or not.

Which brings me on to my main point…. All these employees applied for, and were successful in getting their job. Their job was presented NOT as a home working role and they took that on fully knowing and understanding that. Fully. They cannot renegotiate the terms of that now just because it suits them better.

Best thing is for all these people to resign… and go work elsewhere in a place that suits their changed requirements.. there will be many, many people who would jump at the opportunity to work At apple and take their place in a heartbeat.

Totally agree with you. But if they resign, I expect there will be backlash no matter how Apple handles this. I'm with Apple on this 100%. And according to the leaked Fauci e-mails, there's really no need to worry about health and there's no need to even wear masks at the workplace. But that's politics and that's a different animal.

 

[adrianlondon]

Fit all the employees with Airtags to ensure they're not moving from their computer all day.

 

[M.PaulCezanne]

As if they haven’t considered remote already. There are many who’d be happy to take their place.

 

[Silverstring]

A lot of people hate getting up at 5AM and going to work everyday, but they do it. They just ****ing do it.

Who knows, maybe they can get a nice, remote construction job, lol.

In other words: things are ****** for some workers, so they should be for all workers. "It could be worse, so shut up and take it" is such a defeatist, lowest common denominator race to the bottom thinking. The opposite of good management.

Yes, some jobs like construction can't be done remote. Newsflash: office jobs are completely different. Why apply one set of standards?

These employees are just lazy. All these work from home excuses are just there so they can slack off at home, and save time commuting when they would have factored in their commuting time when they signed their contracts pre-pandemic. This means they are trying to get more benefits that they had expected before the pandemic, which is not fair.

All of these people railing on this letter and the workers: why do you assume that remote work is somehow de-facto worse for productivity!?!?

Leaving aside that none of us have insight into the particular jobs/workflows the letter writers are referring to, rather than call these people "spoiled" "lazy" and "B and C players" or any other dismissive pejoratives, can any of you put together a cogent argument as to why you think remote work has an automatic negative impact?!?!

Again, I acknowledge that some jobs don't transition well to remote setups. That said, it's as if so many think that productivity increases/improvements aren't even possible remote work. I find painting with that broadest possible brush extremely bizarre.

Before anyone tries to take the cheap, obvious, and—hypocritically—lazy potshot instead of engaging with the argument...no, I am not a remote worker.

 

[Silverstring]

So the lazy, ineffectual, and the entitled just signed onto a list that Apple can prioritize layoffs for. Sounds great to me

So to you, work from home = lazy and ineffectual. Always, no exceptions?

With such innovative and deep thinking, maybe you should apply to Apple to fill one of the vacancies!

 

[and 1989 others]

What makes Apple employees so special? Many companiea are getting staff back in- full time no less.

Suck it up, your an employee and thats where you work. Crack on with it.

 

[JokerGengy]

Wow reading this email and some of this forums cries of laziness is the most hilarious thing ever. Imagine being told you can just come to the office 3 days a week and catching a fit 😒, I wonder if this letter includes the thousands of employees that have to come into the store to continue to sell the product that keeps them cry babies in their cute lil 100 billion dollar starship. The nerve of these people and the few of you in the comments who think this the move hahaha. I hope Tim fires all of you, you need a wake up call, you're privileged and it's disgusting. The majority of the world gotta get up and GO GET IT!!!! HAHAHAHA "Inclusivity and empowerment" HAHAHAHA sounds like you don't wanna be around all that diversity and empowerment that apple has built already. If the kids gotta GET UP AND GO GET IT......then get yo lazy @$$ up and DO THE SAME!!!! BUMS!!!!!

 

[Mc0]

They signed up for those jobs in the first place. I think Apple is trying to meet them half way here considering the current health crisis but they don’t want to.

 

[ggx12]

I would love to get to work in that building.

Like others have said,I think the letter is a bit egoist, in my humble opinion the new policy is honestly really well thought-through. It's a good compromise for all.

 

[erniefairchild1]

I’m sure these same Apple employees were VERY concerned about all the retail staff that has been working in the stores for a year now, helping many of the customers that supply these employees‘ salaries.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

It’s not healthy every day rolling out of bed and right into your workstation. This is why there has been tremendous weight gain. Work forces us to at least walk more than 5 steps to go to the bathroom. Also if you are a twenty something what are u doing hanging out by yourself in an apt or working next to mom and dad all day? You should be energized in a Corporate environment. If anything hybrid gets u out of the house.

 

[Silverstring]

What makes Apple employees so special? Many companiea are getting staff back in- full time no less.

Suck it up, your an employee and thats where you work. Crack on with it.

It's not that Apple employees are special...it's that "going in just to go in" has real big "we've always done it this way because we've always done it this way" energy.

I don't have high hopes for any company who's thinking is: "well, everyone else is doing it, so we should too!", "let's have people come because they used to come back in", and "we can find someone to treat worse than you, so GTFO if you don't like it".

It might seem like a shocking and absolutely crazy concept...but many, many studies have shown that workers produce better work when they are happy, empowered, and feel like a part of decision making processes. Why wouldn't a company want to maximize that, over stubbornly clinging to inertia, and workplace models that were formed long before we had the technology that enables alternative approaches!?!?!

 

[arvinsim]

I am sure Apple will love the PR backlash when they will force employees to comeback to the office /s

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

I’m sure with the ones complaining there is a better than average chance they aren’t the most prized employees to begin with.

 

[oppastopa]

Unbelievable. Sitting on your ass for 18 months, collecting your employment, and then trying to stay home forever.

 

[bobob]

spoiled overpaid brats

Corporations rule, workers drool!

 

[JokerGengy]

It's not that Apple employees are special...it's that "going in just to go in" has real big "we've always done it this way because we've always done it this way" energy.

I don't have high hopes for any company who's thinking is: "well, everyone else is doing it, so we should too!", "let's have people come because they used to come back in", and "we can find someone to treat worse than you, so GTFO if you don't like it".

It might seem like a shocking and absolutely crazy concept...but many, many studies have shown that workers produce better work when they are happy, empowered, and feel like a part of decision making processes. Why wouldn't a company want to maximize that, over stubbornly clinging to inertia, and workplace models that were formed long before we had the technology that enables alternative approaches!?!?!

They Built 100 billion dollar work facility for these BUMS!!!!! GO BACK TO WORK!!!!! 72 hrs is all they asking. Do you think the Apple employees that have to come into the store to sell the product have any say so WHATSOEVER?!?! How could Apple effectively run a trillion dollar business with all the employees fat and lazed up in the crib. It's completely fair to make all employees (if possible) come back to work just like most of the company and world has to, All I hear is WE WANT NORMAL, but when normalcy is offered in some form you push it away!?!? How we gonna get back to normal with crybabies clinging to something that wasn't supposed to last? These people low key wanted the corona to be around FOREVER!! Screaming about family btime but the kids back in school now.......so parents get special treatment?! 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

 

[ian87w]

So the lazy, ineffectual, and the entitled just signed onto a list that Apple can prioritize layoffs for. Sounds great to me

You cannot judge someone to be “lazy” or “ineffectual” just based on their work locations preference. In the end, it’s whether their kpis are achieved or not.

 

[Silverstring]

Unbelievable. Sitting on your ass for 18 months, collecting your employment, and then trying to stay home forever.

Wait...what office jobs are you familiar with that aren't "Sitting on your ass for 18 months, collecting your employment"?

Lots of office jobs, and probably many of the Apple corporate ones referred to in this letter are "sitting on your ass" in a desk chair in front of a computer, making and sending things around. Conditions that are (and have been) replicated at home!