A few weeks after Apple started requiring workers to spend at least a couple of days in the office, many employees are unhappy.
Seventy-six percent of Apple workers surveyed said they were dissatisfied with Apple’s return-to-office policy that was implemented after the COVID pandemic started waning.
The survey, conducted by anonymous social network Blind, collected answers from 652 Apple employees from April 13 to April 19. Although the identities of the respondents are unknown, their work status was verified by their Apple corporate email addresses.
The findings show that Apple may be having a tough time with its hybrid work plan, which started on April 11, that requires corporate workers come into the office once a week. Under the policy, in-office attendance is set to increase on May 23, when workers must go into the office three days weekly.
Up until mid-April, many Apple employees had been working entirely from home for two years. Now, accustomed to no commute, they’re now balking at having to return to the office and say they will seek jobs at other tech companies that offer more flexible work arrangements.
A sizable number of workers—56%—claimed they are looking to leave Apple expressly because of its office requirement. It’s unclear how many actually will carry through.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment regarding employee retention.
A worker employed by Apple for only a few weeks posted to Blind in March that they are hesitant to ever go to the office, even for a short period of time. The worker added, “I quit lol, can I put apple on my resume if I was only there 3 weeks hahaahahaha.”
Another Apple employee stated in a Blind post in March that they’re quitting due to COVID infections at the office, toxic company culture, and a lack of work/life balance.
Blind’s users are “overwhelmingly corporate workers in engineering or product roles,” according to Rick Chen, director of public relations at Blind.
In another sign of trouble, some of Apple’s hourly workers at its stores are unhappy. Tech news site The Verge reported in December about the mentally taxing conditions they face including dealing with irate customers.
Recently, Apple workers at the Apple Cumberland Mall store in Atlanta became the first to file for a union election, part of an effort for better wages and benefits.
Apple employees are not alone. A survey of 2,121 workers from all industries conducted by the Harris Poll from April 8 to April 10 found there was a slight preference for remote work. A third of hybrid and remote workers said they quit or switched jobs during COVID to work from home.
Fifty-nine percent of the Harris Poll respondents said they were satisfied with their current state of work. But some types of workers were more ready to change jobs than others. For example, 15% of hybrid- or office-working respondents reported plans to change jobs to be more virtual. Meanwhile, only 7% of hybrid or remote workers said that they’re looking for an in-person job.
One consideration some Apple employees are making in terms of their job hunting is the timing of their expected bonuses. Some said they wanted to wait to get them before looking for jobs elsewhere.
One employee posted on Blind, “Apple management is as tone-deaf as usual. The 15th of April is a stock vest date, I expect to see many people quitting as soon as the cash lands in their accounts.”
More action might be expected after May 23 when the pilot plan for hybrid work comes into full effect. Another worker stated: “Apple is going to see attrition like no other come June. 60% of my team doesn’t even live near the office. They are not returning. ”
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