The pandemic has wreaked havoc for every business, big and small. But in its wake new policies were introduced that allowed workers to get their jobs done with minimal or no contact with other people. Apple was no exception to this rule, allowing its huge staff more flexibility in its work day and routine. But as time goes on, businesses are starting to rethink how to proceed with the work day in the coming months, and one new policy at Apple has kicked up a ton of controversy. Apple just made a huge announcement—and many of its employees aren’t staying silent about how furious they are at what they say is an unfair (and unsafe) rule.
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During the height of the pandemic, Apple took action the way many companies did: it allowed its workers to work remotely in an effort to help flatten the curve of the COVID-19 virus and keep employees safe. But this past June, Apple announced that it would insist on a hybrid work schedule that will start in September in which employees are expected to return to the office for three days a week. According to The Verge, this news sparked an outcry among many employees on one of the company’s internal Slack channels.
At first, Apple employees asked the company’s managers to reconsider their decision because remote work allowed for more safety in an ongoing pandemic, as well as benefits like better work-life balance and more diversity and inclusion in their hiring practices (the argument being if you can expand your job search to include hiring talent that doesn’t live in Cupertino, California, the company can only benefit). But Apple is taking a hard line on their stance. In the spirit of founder Steve Jobs, who was a huge proponent for physical interaction among employees, the heads of the company are sticking to its return-to-work policy.
So far, at least 10 people at Apple have reportedly announced that they plan to resign or know others who will resign as a result of the upcoming hybrid model. The decision about whether to take legal action or send a letter to the company is still up in the air. And Apple is most surely just one of many companies that will be figuring out the best way to proceed with their work schedules as the pandemic hopefully wanes.
