WFH 'through June 2021', says Apple CEO Tim Cook

WFH 'through June 2021', says Apple CEO Tim Cook 
            La pandemia de COVID-19 siempre iba a ser un maratón, no un sprint, y aún no ha terminado, reconoció el director ejecutivo de Apple, Tim Cook, quien les dijo a los empleados esta semana que trabajarían desde casa. hasta junio".</p><h2>La nueva normalidad ya está aquí</h2><p>Cook habló en la reunión general regular de la compañía, donde le dijo al personal que es poco probable que regresen a la oficina en masa hasta al menos el próximo junio.  Esto se ajusta a la mayoría de las grandes empresas de tecnología y sigue la declaración de Cook en septiembre, cuando dijo: "No creo que volvamos a ser como éramos", y reveló que solo el 10% El 15% de la plantilla de la empresa trabaja actualmente en la oficina.
The CEO hinted that Apple, which has traditionally required employees to submit to an office structure, can look forward to working remotely more frequently after the pandemic, in part because we now know for sure that working remotely works. “Nothing replaces face-to-face collaboration, but we've also learned a lot about how we can get our work done outside the office without sacrificing productivity or results,” he said. “All these learnings are important. When we're on the other side of this pandemic, we'll keep all that's great about Apple while incorporating the best of our transformations this year. "

Will WWDC 2021 be an online program?

The pandemic has also spawned exciting new approaches to working remotely. At Apple, for example, the failure of key engineers to visit manufacturers during the product development process in March led the company to use augmented reality and remote-controlled robots to provide a form of telepresence. These tools allow US engineers to help set up and oversee product development and supply line manufacturing remotely.

Apple also used iPads and augmented reality software to help manage technicians in factories outside the United States, and some American employees ended up living in China. Executives have hinted that Apple has picked up some product development insights from this process, as it now has a much better understanding of how AR can be used to augment remote workflows. The strength of Apple's WFH pivot is reflected in the quality of the products the company has been able to launch this difficult year. His teams have managed a cavalcade of challenges to get there, and it's hard to imagine the complexity of some of the decisions they had to make, especially around supply chain management, sales repositioning. retail, employee provisioning and more. To most Apple watchers, the clearest evidence of this effort has been the move to an online WWDC, which (based on Apple's June commitment) now seems more likely to be the approach taken. by the company for WWDC 2021, given that a return to June now seems a better scenario. Even June may not happen.

Why act surprised?

There is no reason for anyone to be surprised. Culture-changing plagues have been a part of the human experience since ancient history, and anyone who says they can't imagine it shouldn't be in positions of power or responsibility. We have had warnings for decades. At the start of the pandemic, I spent a few weeks studying a course at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to explore what was then known about the disease. I've been wearing a mask and social distancing ever since, including at my own father's COVID-19 funeral. The only way to break a disease like this is to break the cycle. The economies that have made it have already returned to a new normal. Apple's concession that we're not here yet is a sad reflection of the work that remains to be done. Companies will need to continue to invest in telecommuting and homework policies, and must actively engage with employees by providing resources, equipment, and support for physical and mental health. . It also means removing the stigma of remote work. The areas where this could be achieved in the core business are advancing, and all the data I've seen shows that remote workers are often more productive than ever. Apple's statement makes it much more likely that other companies will make the same commitment, as many companies already have. IDC predicts that 60% of the US workforce will be remote by 2024, while Gartner data shows that 47% of companies will allow their employees to continue working from home in the future. At best, the story is moving forward, and the future of work has changed more dramatically in the last 12 months than in the previous decade.

Read also

I have offered remote work advice throughout the year; here are some articles that can help you. Follow me on Twitter or join me on the AppleHolic bar & grill and Apple discussion groups on MeWe. 
<p>Copyright © 2020 IDG Communications, Inc.</p>

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