Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

[steve09090]

does the contract specifically say "be in the office 3 days a week?"
as they say, the devil is in the detail of the contract

Clearly, they are required to be in the office 3 days a week, so I would suggest yes.

would be interested to see productivity stats for when someone is in the office or at home.
i can tell you that i'm way more productive since i've been working from home since March 2020.
less distractions, can focus more, no travel time etc etc.

the reasons why some companies and governments want people back in the office is solely to support the surrounding businesses that benefit from having people in that location - local shops/coffee houses, public transport etc etc

Those may be true, but until I took early retirement (during covid) I was far far more productive at work. Ever heard of a police officer working from home?

Sure some things can be done at home (Apple says 40%) but creative pursuits are best done with other creatives. And that is the entire point of the spaceship. So they should just suck it up and be the employees they are paid to be. If they have to clock in, then big deal. What are they trying to prove in making this political?

 

[spartan1967]

And if a fellow team member scanning let's in another associate right behind him/her? How about front line Apple managers interacting with their subordinates with quality work/like conversation during the day to keep track instead?

I'm in sales & right now I have to come in once a week & end up BSing half the day with my other associates when in the office. Looking at my stats. today, I am at 125% towards my quarterly goal.

However, I am blessed with a manager who trusts me. Even responding to this thread, I am eating cereal & looking at my works emails 2 hours before my actual start time.

 

[machpost]

I don't know what all the fuss is about, unless you have a horrendous commute and hate your coworkers. I've been back in the office five days a week for a year now and while I did love working from home, I've come to realize how much I missed the in-person interactions with my team.

 

[steve09090]

who decides what "normal" is?
someone originally devices that mon-fri 9-530 was "normal", but clearly even that hasn't been "normal" for many decades.

what is "normal" evolves with time. companies that fail to evolve to a new "normal" eventually realise once it's too late for them.

Recent studies in Australia and the UK show that 4 days a week (32 hours) is more productive and better value. Even paying the full 40-hour pay. And that's generally for people going into the office, not skiving off at home!

 

[chenks]

Clearly, they are required to be in the office 3 days a week, so I would suggest yes.

that's what their contract said when they inititally started? would seem strange if it did.

if it didn't then it shows that contracts can change.

 

[Kabeyun]

Would you say you perform your best when coerced?

Thank goodness building the nation and winning wars was up to previous generations. Now, life is soooooo hard and bosses are soooooo unfair! I wish people good luck trying to get paid to watch TikTok videos from the comfort of your sofa instead of being “coerced” to, y’know, do their damn job.

 

[chenks]

Ever heard of a police officer working from home?

that's a nonsense comparison to make, and you know that.

 

[Edsel]

How Apple employees now feel "punching-in" at Apple Park.

 

[chenks]

Thank goodness building the nation and winning wars was up to previous generations.

depends which nation you are referring to. as some nations have lots a few fair wars as well (losing some wars they started themselves)

 

[adib]

When a company wants to find excuses to fire people, it will find them. Otherwise, just create an environment to make those excuses more likely to happen.

 

[derek1984]

Why do they have to check? Because upper management doesn't even know if they are there or not?!?

 

[surfzen21]

I once worked at a place that threatened to do this to track how long we went out for lunch 🤣.

Luckily I had quit before it was implemented. It was a stupid thing to do since it wasn't an hourly wage job.

 

[5232152]

What a Boomer move.

 

[Kabeyun]

depends which nation you are referring to. as some nations have lots a few fair wars as well (losing some wars they started themselves)

Not my point, as you possibly know.

 

[steve09090]

that's a nonsense comparison to make, and you know that.

No. It's just as nonsense to say what you do, applies to apple employees as well. The point is that it is entirely dependent on the type of work and how the company is structured.

I note you ignored the rest of my point and stuck to one where you could just attack me.

that's what their contract said when they inititally started? would seem strange if it did.

if it didn't then it shows that contracts can change.

They were employed to work in the Spaceship. They were sent home during Covid and Apple ensured they were adequately set up. Apple then announced a Hybrid where there would be a mix. They could have easily required everyone to go into the office, but they didn't.

They are also one, if not the only major tech company not sacking massive percentages of staff.

So I would suggest that there is a requirement for them to work in the office.

Apple could easily just lay off thousands if they want to. But they are not Meta, Twitter, Amazon or Alphabet.

 

[MacProFCP]

I work in an office that never closed for covid. We remained open throughout as we service a vital need.

Our entire team was dumbfounded by the attitudes of other industries who stayed closed or continued to work from home well into 2022; as if this attitude didn’t further reduce economic output. While some may have been a bit jealous for some time off, it feels good to accomplish when the work is meaningful.

(Yet, we did take covid seriously, implementing strict requirements and protocols for working together and in customers’ homes, which were regularly audited by a team of physicians.)

 

[AppliedMicro]

It’s not brain surgery here folks. You are more productive being at work. There are just way too many distractions at home

Even in brain surgery there isn‘t one single proper way that is better all of the time in all circumstances and for everyone.

There are advantages in working and negotiating with others in person.
As there are advantages in doing focused work uninterrupted in quiet isolation.

And many employees will be miffed at having to isolate and keep quiet at the office, adding an houror more to their daily commute, when they could instead do it in the comfort of their own home.

Successful companies will probably strike a good balance between the two.

That said, coming to the office two or three days a week and having to check in with a badge doesn’t seem onerous. It looks at least like an attempt to strike a sensible balance at that.

PS: though with regards to brain surgery, it probably is better being physically present and doing it in person „at the office“, rather than working from home.

 

[foobarbaz]

Face to face meetings are more productive than zoom.

Even more productive: Working without interruptions

I shudder to think how unproductive I'd be if I had to go to meetings three days a week, or if people just walked in to talk face to face all the time. But sure, I'm happy to come in to the actually important meeting (every couple of weeks) when my presence actually makes a difference.

It's a silly idea that upper management knows better what work environment makes employees productive than the teams and employees themselves.

 

[neuropsychguy]

The pendulum has swung the other way. But companies didn’t want to come down hard. It was a tough period for all.

Face to face meetings are more productive than zoom.

I’ve been to hundreds of in person and hundreds of Zoom meetings. I’ve had some excellent in person meetings but most in person work meetings could be better as emails or Slack/Teams threads. I’ve had plenty of useless Zoom meetings but at least I can do other things if the meeting is not relevant. Or, I can easily leave.

 

[chenks]

They were employed to work in the Spaceship. They were sent home during Covid and Apple ensured they were adequately set up. Apple then announced a Hybrid where there would be a mix. They could have easily required everyone to go into the office, but they didn't.

They are also one, if not the only major tech company not sacking massive percentages of staff.

So I would suggest that there is a requirement for them to work in the office.

Apple could easily just lay off thousands if they want to. But they are not Meta, Twitter, Amazon or Alphabet.

you seem to know a lot about the companies policies, or maybe you're just guessing?

and anyone who refere to the building as "the spaceship" needs to have a serious word with themselves or take their goggles off and get back to reality.

 

[tridley68]

Good they should have been back in the office working a long time ago .

 

[CarAnalogy]

Companies seem to want to have it both ways about covid. It’s the cause of higher prices and lack of goods due to supply chain. It’s this huge issue. Oh but also come in to work to mingle with other employees and use your regular sick days because covid is no big deal.

 

[steve09090]

you seem to know a lot about the companies policies, or maybe you're just guessing?

and anyone who refere to the building as "the spaceship" needs to have a serious word with themselves or take their goggles off and get back to reality.

wtf? We are talking about their HQ, which has ALWAYS been called the spaceship. Geez... Picking small things aren't we? I guess if people are gunna hate, they are gunna hate.

Nevermind.

 

[ELman]

How Apple employees now feel "punching-in" at Apple Park.
View attachment 2177578

The generation in your photo could only dream of coming into the workplace 3 days a week. I bet most of them would have no idea what sick and vacation time is.

 

[Powerguru]

who decides what "normal" is?
someone originally devices that mon-fri 9-530 was "normal", but clearly even that hasn't been "normal" for many decades.

what is "normal" evolves with time. companies that fail to evolve to a new "normal" eventually realise once it's too late for them.

Companies and economy decides what normal is, not employees. If employees don’t like they can move to a new job, it is that simple. People going into office has ONLY upside for the society. Welcome to America 🇺🇸