Apple employees demand more flexibility after returning to office
Earlier this month, Apple had employees return to work at the corporate office in a hybrid format. This has taken place slowly. They’re currently in the office one day per week, but according to company policy, by May 23 employees will need to be in office at least three days per week.
However, some employees have not warmed up to the idea of returning to the office. Organizing under a new group called “Apple Together,” these individuals are advocating for employees’ well-being and rights. In a letter addressed to company leadership on Apple Together’s website Friday, these employees push leadership for increased flexibility.
As Apple continues its return to office plan, the company is encouraging people to “show their team spirit” by participating in a weekly photo challenge & getting their hands on the latest spirit swag, according to an internal note.
One employee described it as “severance vibes”— Zoe Schiffer (@ZoeSchiffer) April 29, 2022
The letter provides multiple reasons why the employees of Apple Together believe remote work should still be an option.
We tell our customers about how amazing our products can be for remote work but we cannot actually use them remotely. How can we expect our customers to take that seriously? If we haven’t lived it, how can we possibly understand the problems that remote work presents in our products?
It goes on to state how commuting is “a huge waste of time as well as both mental and physical resources.” There’s also the argument of how this hybrid model affects the diversity of the company’s workforce.
The final paragraph says it all:
As Steve stated, “It’s not logical to hire intelligent people and then tell them how to work.” “We hire smart people to tell us what they should do.”