Apple wants employees back in the office for three days per week by September

[midian182]

In a nutshell: Apple has long been known as a progressive company, but its views on where employees work is quite traditional: the office is preferable to the home. According to a new report, Tim Cook has asked staff to return to the workplace for three days per week starting early September.

Cook made the announcement in an email sent Wednesday morning that was seen by The Verge. "For all that we've been able to achieve while many of us have been separated, the truth is that there has been something essential missing from this past year: each other," wrote the CEO. "Video conference calling has narrowed the distance between us, to be sure, but there are things it simply cannot replicate."

The majority of employees won't transition directly to a full working week in the office. Most will be asked to come in on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, while the option of working remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays will be available. Those teams that must work in-person will return for four to five days per week.

Employees will be given the opportunity to work remotely for up to two weeks per year, providing their managers allow it. Cook says the break will let staff "be closer to family and loved ones, find a change of scenery, manage unexpected travel, or a different reason all your own."

Back in June 2020, it was reported that Apple was pushing for employees to return to their standing desks, while Bloomberg writes that Cook told staff in December they could be asked to come back as early as this month.

Even with the vaccine rollout, most tech giants are allowing employees to continue working from home. Both Twitter and Facebook have said their staff can keep working remotely indefinitely, while Google said 20 percent of Googlers could do the same.

A recent survey revealed that 40% of remote workers spend four or more hours away from their computers at home. More than half (60%) have taken a nap while on the clock, 42% have been on a date, and 41% have had sex. Almost half said they've had an alcoholic drink, while more than three-quarters have shopped online. No wonder it's popular.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/89922-apple-wants-employees-back-office-three-days-week.html

 

[VitalyT]

They must have finished setting up burial center at the campus.

 

[Scshadow]

Probably what companies should do with remote workers is convert them to salary workers. Yeah, people goof off on the clock, whether you are remote or in the office. The people worth keeping are the ones who deliver work on time. The good employers are the ones that don't care what you do as long as work gets done. Although I personally wouldn't want to go salary because I take a lot of on-call shifts and salary would absolutely screw me over. But salary makes sense if you already have a steady schedule and just want to be allowed to manage your own time. Although I believe salary workers in our company still have their time tracked which is absurd to me. I could see self managed and salary compensation making a lot of sense for a lot of people.

Anyway, I personally have not done well as a remote worker. I'm isolated, I'm alone. I've become extremely distracted and have severe trouble focusing. I don't really want to go into work but I miss having the option. Our company let the lease expire on our office space so its WFH indefinitely.

 

[Kirby1]

They just want that shiney new building to get used.

 

[kimo1]

A depressed worker is an efficient worker.

 

[BobDolesGhost]

I've been full time back at work since Dec '20... Haven't had any problems. Still sanitize my hands constantly, wear mask outside my office, still do zoom meetings, got the vaccine in Apr? or June? can't recall exactly - but my work requires I work with refrigerator size equipment that is not exactly easily transportable to home

 

[DrSuess]

I've been full time back at work since Dec '20... Haven't had any problems. Still sanitize my hands constantly, wear mask outside my office, still do zoom meetings, got the vaccine in Apr? or June? can't recall exactly - but my work requires I work with refrigerator size equipment that is not exactly easily transportable to home

Never left I have been at work for the duration. My work requires I work in a secure vault, so not much opportunity to work from home. Upside I don't come into direct contact with a lot of people at work even now.

 

[punctualturn]

What, you thought they were going to abandon that brand new campus?

LOL, come back slaves, time for some more suffering!

 

[Eric Mozzone]

Working from home eliminates a lot of problems and I dont understand why its so rejected. Less traffic, less emissions, less energy consumption from big buildings. Those are the starts.

 

[Dennis83]

Working from home eliminates a lot of problems and I dont understand why its so rejected. Less traffic, less emissions, less energy consumption from big buildings. Those are the starts.

Let's go on:
1. No annoying boss that burst into your office and starts talking without your permission. They HAVE to call you first. That's a big plus. And even then you can choose not to accept the call. More +++++

2. No dirty kitchen. And I mean other's dirt, not your own. Your own dirt is ok. Same goes for toilet. They can be damn sure I will demand my personal restroom if they want me to get back to the office.

3. No other distracting, irrelevant hotheads running around the office. Although I miss the priceless satisfaction of the look of their faces after pretending they do not exist.

4. No dings on your car at the parking lot. So there is no need for justified and immediate revenge -> time saver.

 

[dangh]

My company just announced unlimited work from home policy. Due to business oriented cases they might require you come to office sometimes, but have to inform you day before. Anyone can choose how he wants to work. After more than a year of remote work people still delivers and everyone is happy. Buy if like to go to office once a week just to chat with some colleagues.

 

[Austinturner]

After COVID made things more flexible I took a new job with a much better company in a nearby capital city (over two hours to the office), I generally go to the office twice a week (same days as most other people) and we have lots of meetings, lunches etc and then I work productively from home the other three days. I wouldn’t have considered working for them before they offered flexibility.

I see this happening a lot at the moment, the better employees who want to live away from the capital cities are now easily able to get better jobs with flexibility. Companies in my smaller city are really struggling to hire competent people now they have to compete with better companies.

 

[Puiu]

Working from home eliminates a lot of problems and I dont understand why its so rejected. Less traffic, less emissions, less energy consumption from big buildings. Those are the starts.

Because it is very VERY inefficient. It also removes human interaction from the business which is bad (employee loyalty takes a huge dive, business partners are less inclined to work again with you and just look at the pure numbers, etc).

And speaking from experience: working from home is depressing as hell as you can't create a clear line between work and your private life anymore.

Working from home isn't bad, it's just not a long term solution for many companies. Flexibility of workplace is pretty much the best thing it offers and what people like the most.