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

[Yokon54]

Request denied. See you Monday.

 

[I7guy]

Companies have a right to recall their employees. That said I hope corporate mindset changes and at least some flexibility is shown. And those who believe that SFH has become a right…get a grip or you will be looking for a new job.

 

[Prof.]

Nobody wants to breath in recirculated artificial air 8 hours a day... .

I worked directly with covid patients, and guess what?! I was fine. You, and the Apple employees, will be just fine.

This is pure entitlement and childish.

The only people I'd let slide are people with health issues (post-op, immunocompromised, etc.)

 

[cardfan]

I'm confused...the work didn't stop just because people weren't physically present, did it?

Remote work is still...work.

Productivity went down big time. Why you think prices are up and stuff is hard to find? Services suffered as well. Don’t listen to the nutjobs who think working from home is better.

 

[I7guy]

I'm confused...the work didn't stop just because people weren't physically present, did it?

Remote work is still...work.

It’s a matter of meeting face to face, and efficiency.

 

[Zeke92]

I’m soooooo gonna get voted down and flamed for this, but I’ll bite the flame-bait:

I agree with the folks and their letter. They make valid points. As humans, I agree with them. Key word: humans.
(Here’s where I get attacked)…

Hypothetically, had this been the policy in 2006-ish, the iPhone would not have been the disruptor it was *initially* (later, it likely would have but not until one or two revisions). Why?

One random day an employee walked by that HR person’s office and accidentally noticed she was using the FingerWorks multitouch panel because of her wrist injury. That was the reason iPhone had multitouch on Day 1. It was going to be a plastic screen like iPod. They changed it at almost the last minute because of this accidental finding.

Yes yes yes, the third iteration would have had it in this alternate universe, but having it Day 1 was the ultimate surprise and truly justified no hardware keyboard.

This was only possible with in-office activities. As a company, you need this random genesis, this chemical mixture and percolation. It’s hard to put into words for a generic conversation, but these are the reasons.

We do know of the stories of people who had their marriages and lives destroyed because of the iPhone development and that’s incredibly sad for all involved. As humans, this is terrible. Apple, and many other companies, does ask too much of its people.

I do think we can find a balance, tho. The conversation still needs to happen. A new “benefit package” may need to be developed post-COVID. Things just might be different after all. Maybe.

“May you live in interesting times”.

You won’t get flamed. People who aren’t Apple fan boys actually enjoy WFH and want to continue. Everyone is weird corporate drones here as if these workers want to stop people from going into the office. They are literally just saying let people choose. We’ve been working from home for a 1.5 year now and the world continued

 

[4jasontv]

More like being greedy and trying to manipulate Apple for more of what they think they are entitled to (for some mysterious reason).

Edited to add: I think Apple was very generous with employees during the Pandemic.

They should be generous all the time, not just when people are dying.

 

[iOS Geek]

Starting by saying I’m commenting BEFORE reading any of the info, so take that into consideration.

Some are complaining about going back to their offices to work in person.

Meanwhile, others (raising my hand, here) are complaining because after treating COVID patients with an unacceptable lack of PPE (thanks to a broken promise by the state to distribute a supply that was supposedly purchased) and working overtime…our “thank you” was a pay cut.

Some don’t want to go back because of health reasons/concerns. I fully respect that. There are others, and I know a few, who don’t want to go back…just because they don’t want to. I have a hard time showing any sympathy for that part.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I can't imagine productivity is where it should be in all areas ( who have been working from home) in Apple hence the new flexible directive. Sometimes, text alone doesn't get the job done. It takes face to face to make the impact needed in a variety of ways.

 

[Apple_Robert]

They should be generous all the time, not just when people are dying.

I think the new directive is fair. I see nothing onerous about it.

 

[4jasontv]

If ya don't want to come in to work, we can find someone who does.
Perhaps they forget who is paying whom.

I am paying Apple money. Does that mean can I make demands that hurt their quality of life and cost them money?

Or should we not confuse employment with slavery or indentured servitude?

 

[Zeke92]

Productivity went down big time. Why you think prices are up and stuff is hard to find? Services suffered as well. Don’t listen to the nutjobs who think working from home is better.

You are literally just making this up and correlating things in which you have no idea about

 

[thatsmyfish]

Couldn’t imagine a worse job than working at apple as one of the grunts. Glad I own my own firm. We’ve pretty much fired anyone who hasn’t returned to work by now.

Why not name the firm? You own it. Don’t be shy.

 

[ksec]

Some overpaid people at Apple are whining like a little brats, while so many people around the world lost their job. They have no idea what privilege is to work at a rich company like Apple. These are probably the woke sjws that Tim nurtured with his politics.

By the way this is not just Apple.

It is Silicon Valley, and to a larger extend. Tech Industry.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I am paying Apple money. Does that mean can I make demands that hurt their quality of life and cost them money?

Or should we not confuse employment with slavery or indentured servitude?

Why would you bring up slavery and indentured servitude on this specific topic and article? I don't think those two apply in any way to Apple's new directive.

 

[thatsmyfish]

Entitled spoiled brats. Fire them all. My wife and I have been back to the office now for almost a year. Get over it.

How many days? How many hours? Can you access work from home? Do you receive benefits? Salary range? Don’t be shy. You opened the door.

 

[citysnaps]

Most employees are replaceable.

 

[4jasontv]

I think the new directive is fair. I see nothing onerous about it.

I feel like it was clear the employees say it is burdensome.

 

[ethanwa79]

spoiled overpaid brats

LOL. Because Apple, the richest company in the world, isn’t “overpaid” and “spoiled”, off the backs of their own workers. /s

Good for the employees! It’s about time we Americans start to take our work-life more seriously.

 

[thatsmyfish]

Productivity went down big time. Why you think prices are up and stuff is hard to find? Services suffered as well. Don’t listen to the nutjobs who think working from home is better.

Productivity went down big time because of telework so Apple is totally down with a 40% reduction in the amount of time you have to be in the office. Because they don’t care about money.

You sticking with that?

 

[4jasontv]

Why would you bring up slavery and indentured servitude on this specific topic and article? I don't think those two apply in any way to Apple's new directive.

I didn’t bring it up, other comments did. I just applied the label for the concept they were referencing.

 

[Zeke92]

Starting by saying I’m commenting BEFORE reading any of the info, so take that into consideration.

Some are complaining about going back to their offices to work in person.

Meanwhile, others (raising my hand, here) are complaining because after treating COVID patients with an unacceptable lack of PPE (thanks to a broken promise by the state to distribute a supply that was supposedly purchased) and working overtime…our “thank you” was a pay cut.

Some don’t want to go back because of health reasons/concerns. I fully respect that. There are others, and I know a few, who don’t want to go back…just because they don’t want to. I have a hard time showing any sympathy for that part.

You work in health. You NEED to be onsite. You not having sympathy because you had to work during a pandemic has no weight in this conversation. Yes, you should have had PPE and a pay raise, but that was product of our dysfunctional government.

Thank you for your service during the pandemic. But Please get together and advocate for yourselves like these employees instead of looking down on them for making demands that will improve their quality of life.

 

[ethanwa79]

Most employees are replaceable.

Not since COVID. At least in the tech industry. 80% of people want to continue to work from home. It’s going to be a poaching perk, just like free sodas and food, sleep pods, and full family coverage health insurance.

If Apple won’t offer it, Google will, and the top talent will move on.

 

[I7guy]

You won’t get flamed. People who aren’t Apple fan boys actually enjoy WFH and want to continue. Everyone is weird corporate drones here as if these workers want to stop people from going into the office. They are literally just saying let people choose. We’ve been working from home for a 1.5 year now and the world continued

And many companies kept people on, didn't downsize, reduce benefits, but it’s your employers call. The world continued but in less than an optimal fashion.

 

[fontman]

Spoiled little brats