Apple employees are once again pushing back against the company’s return-to-office plans (RTO).
Apple notified employees in mid-August that they would be required to work from the office at least three days a week, starting September 5. Employees are pushing back, demanding more flexibility than Apple wants to give.
Tim Cook has made no secret of his belief in in-person collaboration, but according to Engadget, employee group Apple Together says the reality doesn’t match up with Cook’s idealized concept. Instead, the company’s secrecy makes collaborative inspiration too difficult to be practical. As a result, the group argues, employees should at least be given a work environment that results in improved well-being and happiness.
This isn’t the first time employees have pushed back against the company’s RTO plans. In fact, employees have penned several open letters to management demanding the flexibility to continue working remotely.
One such letter even included the following ultimatum:
“Stop treating us like school kids who need to be told when to be where and what homework to do.”
“Here we are, the smart people that you hired, and we are telling you what to do: Please get out of our way, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, let us decide how we work best, and let us do the best work of our lives.”
Evidently, Apple has already made at least one concession with its latest plans. Originally, the company wanted employees in the office Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday but dropped Monday as a pre-defined office day as a result of the pushback. Instead, it is defining Tuesdays and Thursdays as in-office days, with the third left up to each team.
It remains to be seen if Apple will budge any more or if it will take a hard line on its latest plans. Given that its RTO plans have already cost the company its head of AI, there may be additional concessions in the future if the pushback grows.