Apple's Director of Machine Learning Resigns Due to Return to Office Work

[gdeputy]

Because they want you back in the office instead of taking numerous breaks? Slacking off? Running and doing errands while on the clock?

Uh, what? I work in big tech and I spent multiple HOURS a day NOT WORKING in office. Water cooler talk, walks for coffee in the city, random side discussions, naps in the nap room.. sitting around having a beer with colleagues.

You're misinformed and misguided. Additionally, who cares if I take numerous breaks? I'm paid a salary to do a job effectively, not to count my minutes, lol.

 

[dysamoria]

I agree with you on working from home but have a bit of class. I know for a fact that I and all of the other office clowns in here couldn’t hack a single shift flipping burgers, especially for the peanuts they get paid.

I agree. And did you know that we can support ALL workers by NOT promoting anti-worker and pro-corporate rhetoric to attack a privileged employee leaving Apple because he did not like the working conditions?

 

[4jasontv]

Yes. Apple is entitled to run their business as they see fit. Whatever that translates to in terms of worker benefits). again being an at will employment state means the employer and employee get to decide their futures.

You contradict yourself more than Amber Heard. Which is it, do they have to or are they entitled to?

 

[dysamoria]

Working from home is so depressing, you end up seeing no one and becoming isolated.

I highly recommend finding a social life outside of your employment.

 

[pshufd]

My office (not a cubicle, for what it's worth) was 20 degrees too hot in the winter and cold in the summer. Of course, the thermostat is regulated by facilities and I actually got a lecture by someone because I attached magnet vent blockers on the ones blowing directly at me.

I once had this problem. My manager went to his office, got a roll of duct tape, hopped up on one of my tables and taped over the vent. I was seriously impressed. Space heaters are against the rules but people bring them in anyways and hide them during building audits. The security guards have the worst of it on nights and weekends. The lobby isn't heated and they are in heavy coats sitting at the desk and shivering.

 

[dysamoria]

Speak for yourself.. I've worked from flipping burgers, to operating cash registers, to retail sales.. all the way to being an executive at a large health care org.

That's great! Please keep in mind that not everyone will have your same results.

 

[4jasontv]

I once had this problem. My manager went to his office, got a roll of duct tape, hopped up on one of my tables and taped over the vent. I was seriously impressed. Space heaters are against the rules but people bring them in anyways and hide them during building audits. The security guards have the worst of it on nights and weekends. The lobby isn't heated and they are in heavy coats sitting at the desk and shivering.

That's basically what I did, and was told it made the neighboring offices the wrong temperature.

 

[I7guy]

COVID was the catalyst.. but make no mistake about it, for knowledge workers?? Yeah, most folks are going to prefer remote.

I've been remote first for 4 years now and my productivity has never been higher. My impact has never been greater. My salary has never been higher. My personal time has never been more flexible.

This will continue to happen unless apple either increases pay SIGNIFICANTLY or adopts remote-first.

I get it, sucks to have spent a few bn on an office and leave it empty. Ask the folks who doubled down on railroads and horses how that went where there was a paradigm shift

There are too many situations to make a general comment. But I’m glad we’re back in the office (at least part time). My teams productivity has skyrocketed. Small decisions take seconds not minutes for example. Again, this is just me speaking, from my experience.

 

[dysamoria]

I have provided my entire team the option to WFH or come in if they so wish.. I'm fine either way, I do not care if my team works 10 hrs, or 6, as long as the deliverables and expectations are met. That is my ONLY ask.

That's great! ??

 

[pshufd]

That's basically what I did, and was told it made the neighboring offices the wrong temperature.

In my case, I just pointed to my manager and it was dropped. That my manager did it got facilities off my case. So my manager had my back.

 

[dysamoria]

And.........
How do police officers work at home
How do fire fighters fight fires at home
How do doctors treat their patients at home
How do Amazon employees deliver packages
How do the Mail couriers deliver mail
Etc. etc. etc. and etc.

This argument boils down to "If I have to do this thing, everyone else should have to do this thing, even if what we do is otherwise entirely different".

 

[4jasontv]

There are too many situations to make a general comment.

I bet that won't stop you from making one.

But I’m glad we’re back in the office (at least part time). My teams productivity has skyrocketed. Small decisions take seconds not minutes for example. Again, this is just me speaking.

Wait, you need committees to make small decisions?

You make me laugh I7guy.

 

[dysamoria]

Possibly but is it enough for just him or for generational wealth? Hmmm.
Also he’s a director, not an executive.

Does he have kids? Generational wealth might be irrelevant.

 

[dysamoria]

Not by choice, but if SHTF and I had no other option.. yes! I'm sure that would be true for anyone who'd rather work and earn an honest pay ( minuscule even ) over freeloading.

What is freeloading?

 

[leebroath]

Working from home has it's good and bad points.

Your in the warmth of your own house, and you can deal with many tasks while still working wirelessly.

Although the bad, which I believe majorly outweighs the good! You're home and can be constantly in 'work mode' and unable able to switch off. You work from 8am to 5pm, but because the computer is still sitting there, time slips and end up working till 6-7pm. Maybe some people can just switch off completely but I couldn't, and I hated it.

Working from a workplace is in my eyes a whole lot better, you go to work and come away and leave it for another day, the choice is taken away from you.

 

[dysamoria]

How many companies have you owned that built a beautiful campus or anything at the scale you mention? Many have such a feeling of entitlement in this labor and economic bubble we are experiencing.

Define "entitlement".

 

[4jasontv]

In my case, I just pointed to my manager and it was dropped. That my manager did it got facilities off my case. So my manager had my back.

It sounds like you had a manager who believed it was their job to remove obstacles. When I told my boss about it she offered me a different office or said I could choose to only use it when I needed a place for an on-site meeting.

 

[pshufd]

I just had a look at his publication history. He has 164 published papers since 2009 and his papers are cited in 180,657 other papers. This guy is freaking productive.

 

[dysamoria]

Our teams have been FAR less productive when working from home. I’d like everyone back in the office but I’d also like a relaxing of the rules on start and end times. We don’t need hall monitors but we do need in person collaboration.

What was the actual source of the loss of productivity? What do your teams do that benefits from in-person office-space work?

 

[dysamoria]

Considering Siri AI status, it might be a good thing his resignation.

Apple software has been in poor condition for many more years than COVID19 and this guy's employment at Apple. You should look for a different target for your complaint than this person. His boss, maybe.

 

[pshufd]

It sounds like you had a manager who believed it was their job to remove obstacles. When I told my boss about it she offered me a different office or said I could choose to only use it when I needed a place for an on-site meeting.

Yeah, he got promoted shortly thereafter and moved to another group. He's on my list of good managers. I've only had one bad manager (sexual harassment), a couple of mediocre and a bunch of good ones.

 

[4jasontv]

Working from a workplace is in my eyes a whole lot better, you go to work and come away and leave it for another day, the choice is taken away form you.

This is probably the best argument for office work that I have heard. If you have a room you can dedicate to office work you might be able to simulate this, but if you really love your job there is that temptation to go back.

 

[ofarlig]

We got bought out in 1994 and were moving out of our office building. Management considered moving the office to a neighboring state where the income tax rate was 5% higher. They surveyed employees and many would leave over the longer commute, and increased taxes. So they built a building near the old workplace and everyone was happy. Construction took 18 months and cost a ton of money but management wanted happy employees.

Retention was very important to the buyout and there were metrics on key people staying on for a period of time to make the deal go through. There were lots of financial incentives to keep people. Companies always say that their people are their biggest assets. Well, prove it.

Yeah, my company surveyed the employees during covid and found out many people want to work a big chunk at home. So they are now going to rent out more floors in the building to other companies as well as having a complete remodel of the entire office done to remove a big part of the "open office" desk spaces to make more lounge style working areas as well as more meeting rooms and smaller one person "focus rooms" with desk spaces. They also overhauled the entire technology side in all the meeting rooms as well as the desk setups to make it much easier to set up your working environment anywhere.

At the office they want you to invite you to have your less formal meetings "over a coffee" on sofas in the lounge areas rather than in a meeting room as well as being able to just set up in different environments every day. Very modern Scandinavian styling with different bold colours in different areas to make it appear you are in different places as you move through the office.

Basically my employer spent a ton of money and time to make the office function better in the hybrid environment they saw the employees wanted because they both want to retain current talent but also want to be able to recruit talented people in the future. Some people want to be there all the time while I want to be there once a week or so but not on a set schedule and rather see what I deem best for the work I am doing as well as my mood for the week.

 

[Rafterman]

Define "entitlement".

"Entitlement" is what others say when they are jealous of others' situations. To me, entitlement is just a way to promote yourserlf and your abilities, since no one else will.

 

[I7guy]

I bet that won't stop you from making one.

Because there are so many situations, that doesn’t stop anybody from citing their own as the objective truth. But nice and condescending.

Wait, you need committees to make small decisions?

Wait, you have one person making unilateral decisions? End products must be really bad.

You make me laugh I7guy.

Touché.