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Apple has a new work-from-home policy, but it’s still not what employees want

arstechnica.com

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Re: Apple has a new work-from-home policy, but it’s still not what employees want

#11

Post by unboxedvariable »

Started remote a few months before the pandemic. Also started out my career in tech working remotely. In my current situation, I don't imagine ever returning and feel grateful for the opportunity to wrest back more control over my life and circumstances that would usually have been dictated to suit my employer. For me, remote work gives me _far_ more time, energy etc to invest in myself and family which is why I work in the first place. Not only that, but the chance to work for an employer in a remote capacity greatly diminishes the urge I have felt to go the consultancy route etc.

There are a lot of habits and work processes instilled in us from having to report to hq every day but for a lot of people we are already emerging on the other side of replacing those arcane processes with modern internet native approaches. This will force a lot of change on people in terms of how we socialize and it is a major change, with major upside imo.

Re: Apple has a new work-from-home policy, but it’s still not what employees want

#13

Post by corobo »

randycupertino wrote: post #5

I feel like the horse has left the barn. So many people at my firm have permanently moved to Montana, Houston, Arizona. No decrease in productivity. It's going to be really hard for management to entice them back to the office, if ever. Also noticing all the recruiters who contact me these days lead with remote or % wfh.

Recently I've also noticed them throwing in "no whiteboard tests" as an interview perk too haha

Re: Apple has a new work-from-home policy, but it’s still not what employees want

#14

Post by whywhywhywhy »

Unless you have a very desirable and unique skill set I think it's naive to think you're going to eventually win, they didn't build that gigantic HQ for it to remain empty and the waste of money that is your empty desk in the donut will be pinned on you not sitting at it not them for building it.

Not saying I agree with it, but I think this is one area of Apples culture that is going to go against the tide.

Re: Apple has a new work-from-home policy, but it’s still not what employees want

#15

Post by shmatt »

trollied wrote: post #10

What would they do with a $5 billion empty building? Things have shifted now, and employers need to realise that they need to offer remote to bag the best engineers. I certainly never want a long commute again.

I have a feeling Apple would be happy to have mediocre engineers as long as they are willing to be in the small subset willing to commute daily, showing the ultimate personal sacrifice to their employer

Re: Apple has a new work-from-home policy, but it’s still not what employees want

#16

Post by lnanek2 »

skywal_l wrote: post #2

It's going to be a problem hard to resolved. It can be seen as a perk for a company to offer the possibility of remote work like bonuses or free coffee. The thing is, some people actually hate telework and would rather impose everyone to be present because this is how they feel the most efficient or because it is just how they like to work. So contrary to the traditional employer/employees balance of power, there is…

> So contrary to the traditional employer/employees balance of power, there is also a employees/employees thing going on here.

We have that on my team at work too. About 10% of the people on the team prefer to work in office, but they always caveat that with, "but I don't want to come into an empty office." Meaning being, that want the rest of the team in the office too.

Re: Apple has a new work-from-home policy, but it’s still not what employees want

#17

Post by theslurmmustflo »

jedberg wrote: post #9

Apple is a company that values loyalty in its employees. This is just a good way for them to weed out some of the disloyal. At the end of the day, there are so many people who want to work for Apple that I don't think it will be a big problem for them.

Loyalty doesn't build or design good products

Re: Apple has a new work-from-home policy, but it’s still not what employees want

#18

Post by siruncledrew »

Google, Amazon, and lots of other companies are in the same stance as Apple.

Deep down, I think the issue goes past working flexibility down to a multi-billion dollar financial question of what do these companies do with their real estate assets?

They've already built or bought gigantic office buildings and campuses across the US, so what do they do with them? Turn them into warehouses? Just let them sit at Idk what the answer is, but I'm sure lots of CFOs are probably busy with this, since it seems like it would be "paddling against the current" to counteract remote preferences.

Re: Apple has a new work-from-home policy, but it’s still not what employees want

#19

Post by rozap »

whywhywhywhy wrote: post #14

Unless you have a very desirable and unique skill set I think it's naive to think you're going to eventually win, they didn't build that gigantic HQ for it to remain empty and the waste of money that is your empty desk in the donut will be pinned on you not sitting at it not them for building it. Not saying I agree with it, but I think this is one area of Apples culture that is going to go against the tide.

You will win though, just not at apple. Plenty of employers are fine with remote.

Re: Apple has a new work-from-home policy, but it’s still not what employees want

#20

Post by spoonjim »

“What employees want” isn’t really relevant. I’m sure employees also want 10x the salary. What matters is 1) can they use their brand, their balance sheet, their luxury office, or other parameters to maintain the workforce of the size and skills required to conduct their business, or 2) is in-person so much more effective than remote that they can compete in the market with fewer or less-skilled on-site workers because those workers’ output is so much better when on-site.
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