A group of Apple employees are opposing a corporate mandate that requires them to return to the office three days a week. The group, which calls itself "Apple Together," published an open letter to executives criticizing the company's Hybrid Work Pilot program, calling it inflexible.
Among other complaints, the anonymous letter called the company's requirement that employees spend three days in the office showing "almost no flexibility."
“Working in the office is from the last century, a pre-ubiquitous internet-age technology capable of making video calls and everyone being in the same internal chat application,” the letter says. "But the future is about connecting when it makes sense, with people making a meaningful contribution, no matter where they are.
"We now ask you, the leadership team, to also show flexibility and drop the rigid policies of the hybrid work pilot. Stop trying to control how often you can see us in the office," the band wrote. "Trust us, we know how each of our small contributions helps Apple succeed and what it takes to get there."
In a letter that begins with the employees expressing their dedication to a company they "dreamed of joining one day," the workers said their "vision of the future of work is drifting further and further from that of the 'management team.'
“We clearly see the benefits of in-person collaboration; the kind of creative process that enables high-bandwidth communication in the same room, without being limited by technology,” the band said. “But for many of us it's not something we need every week, often not even every month, certainly not every day. Hybrid work pilot is one of the most inefficient ways to allow everyone to be in one room, should the need arise from time to time.
Apple Together outlines six key areas where the company's hybrid work plan will hurt employee morale, inclusion and diversity. The letter was first published earlier this week by Apple enthusiast news site iMore.
Holding three days a week in the office, the letter says, will change the composition of Apple's workforce, making it younger, whiter, more male-dominated and favoring "who can work for Apple, that wouldn't be the right thing to do." better". to fit in.
“Privileges like 'being born in the right place so you don't have to move' or 'being young enough to start a new life in a new city/country' or 'having a stay-at-home spouse who will move in with you', says the letter.
In a March memo to staff, Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees they must return to the office at least one day a week beginning April 11. The memo went on to outline a plan to increase office work to two days a week beginning May 2 and three days in the office (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) beginning May 23.
"Computerworld" has contacted Apple for comment, but has not received a response.
The Apple Workers group, which has also created a Twitter account and website to air its grievances, says it includes current and former Apple employees. The website calls Apple a "culture of secrecy creates an opaque and intimidating fortress.
"When we insist on accountability and redress for the persistent injustices we witness or experience in our workplaces, we confront a pattern of isolation, degradation and gaslighting," the website states.
Apple is by no means alone in asking a hybrid workforce to return to the office a certain number of days a week. Citigroup, BNY Mellon, Google and Twitter are also among those embracing a hybrid workforce with days in the office, though Twitter has told employees they can continue to work remotely, even with open desks.
By the end of the current quarter in June, most organizations will have most workplaces open, according to a survey by research firm Gartner released in March.
When organizations were asked what flexible working options they offer to attract and retain talent, nearly one in five (18%) said none, according to Gartner's survey of 300 organizations. Industries surveyed included IT and telecommunications, health and pharmaceuticals, fuel and energy, construction and real estate, and transportation and shipping, among others.
Three out of five organizations that responded to the survey said they had agreed to a fixed minimum requirement for on-site working days, for example, employees must report to the office on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But even these options could cause employee retention problems.
"In this age of full employment and, indeed, shortages of many workers, employees have a great ability to get on if you make them unhappy," said Jack Gold, principal analyst at research firm J. Gold Associates. . "So unlike in the past, where companies had the ability to dictate and have employees take it or leave it, it's much less possible in technology these days."
David Lewis, CEO of OperationsInc, a Connecticut human resources consultancy, said in a previous interview that companies dictating a return to the office full-time, or how employees must work remotely, are missing the point. general. . Lewis noted that the unemployment rate in the United States is 3,6% and there are now more than 11 million job openings.
If employees are pushed hard enough, they will leave, he said.
“There is an insatiable demand for candidates that exceeds the supply. He's missing the fact that if his employees don't want to go back to the office, they have a choice: make Big resign," Lewis said. "They have options and they are exercising them."
Operations Inc claims to have more than 1000 clients whom it advises on HR matters and job-related data tracking. “I have studied very carefully everything that happens in the workplace…in my 36-year career in human resource management. During Covid, in particular, I've seen these headlines reverberate across a number of companies..., 'Get your butt to the office. And if you don't, you have to look for another job,” Lewis said.
" How it works ? "
Employee surveys have shown that up to 40% of workers would quit their jobs if they were not allowed to work remotely. And yet, among companies that employ white-collar or knowledge workers, between one-third and 60% require some type of office presence, either part-time or full-time, Lewis said.
"A significant percentage of people are trying to return their workplace to what they considered normal before COVID," he said.
That's not going to work with a lot of workers, Gold said. A balance must be struck between what the employer believes he needs to maintain the company culture and a collaborative experience and what the employees want.
"It's a very complicated and different area for every company and every group of employees, but it's definitely a problem these days," Gold said. "At the end of the day, employees have a lot more ability to just take that job and push it."
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