Apple employees threaten to resign as company takes firm stance on remote working

Citing an internal Slack thread, The edge reports that Apple employees are threatening to resign over what they perceive to be too strict rules regarding remote work policies.

In June, Apple announced a hybrid work schedule that will see employees return to the office three days a week starting in September, a shift to normal company operations after the pandemic forced an extended period of work from home. . Days later, participants in what is assumed to be the same Slack remote work advocacy channel cited by The edge asked for more flexibility, saying working from home brings a number of benefits including greater diversity and inclusion in retention and hiring, removal of existing communication barriers, better work balance -personal life, better integration of existing remote / flexible workers and reduced spread of pathogens.

This request was categorically refused. In an employee video late last month, Senior Vice President of Retail and Personnel Deirdre O’Brien followed the company’s line on remote work policies, saying: “We believe that in-person collaboration is essential to our culture and our future. If we take a moment to reflect on our amazing product launches over the past year, the product and launch execution was built on the years of hard work we did when we were all together in nobody.”

Apple’s corporate ideology has long held that employee mix is ​​a critical ingredient in innovation. The late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was such a supporter of the philosophy that he helped design Apple Park’s main building – actually a large ring – to facilitate chance encounters.

With plans to adopt the hybrid model in the future, employees now say Apple is denying exceptions to the current rule that it once allowed. For example, an anonymous employee who is currently allowed to work from home through ADA hosting said Apple would decline the exception in September.

“I’ll be out of work in September,” the person wrote on Slack, which now has some 6,000 members.

Apple will apparently make exceptions for people with documented health issues, but obtaining that accommodation would require employees to confirm their status by disclosing medical records to the company. The request made some people uncomfortable, according to the report.

Employees are now discussing how best to respond, whether it’s with another letter or legal action. About 10 people are considering quitting or know of others who will resign due to the hybrid policy, according to the report.