Apple Orders Staff Back To Office, Three Days A Week

Apple CEO Tim Cook has offered staff a fresh concession, as the iPhone giant signals the adoption of a hybrid working schedule for all employees.

In a memo to all employees, Tim Cook wrote that from Monday 5th September 2022, corporate staff must return to the office three days a week.

Back in April Apple once again faced push back from its workforce, when the firm issued a strict return-to-work policy, prompting many staff to threaten to resign.

Return to office

Indeed, Ian Goodfellow, Apple’s director of machine learning, quit his job at Apple – just two years after he was poached from Google to rejuvenate Apple’s Siri and the company’s other AI projects.

Goodfellow explicitly cited the return-to-work policy as the reason for his departure. He rejoined Google working for its Deepmind division.

The April indict stated that from early May staff would be required to come into the office on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday every week.

But in May Apple opted to delay its big return to the office plans, allowing most staff to continue working from home. It also launched a pilot that required some employees to report to its offices two days a week.

Now it seems that Apple is keen to press ahead with the hybrid working model, but with one concession.

According to the Verge, all staff in the Bay Area will be expected to come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in addition to a third day every week that is decided by individual teams.

Staff have the option of working remotely twice a week, and the shift to a flexible day in addition to the two midweek days will allow some staff to continue to have four unbroken days at home each week.

Hybrid working

Apple it should be remembered had announced its much delayed hybrid work model back in June 2021.

At the time, staff were asked to come in to the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with the option of working remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays.

But Cook’s recall notice in June 2021 prompted resistance from employees, with an internal letter from Apple staff demanding more flexibility.

The staff letter in June 2021 also stated Apple’s return-to-office policy had “already forced some of our colleagues to quit”.

However the staff protests dwindled after Apple continued to delay the hybrid work model due to the pandemic.

Apple then sought to get staff back in the office by May this year, but again delayed the office return.

Now Tim Cook is ordering staff to work three days a week in the office, from Monday 5th September.

Staff memo

“When we announced the pilot a year ago, we said it would be a learning experience for us all,” Tim Cook was quoted as saying, by the Verge. “Based on the feedback and insights we’ve received from you and your managers, we are making the following adjustment:

“Teams participating in the pilot will come to the office three days each week with Tuesday and Thursday as set days across the company, but now the third day you come in will be decided by your teams, “ Cook wrote.

“Each team will work through the decision about which day is right for them, and you’ll hear from your leaders soon,” he added. “As before, many employees will have the option of working remotely two days a week. Depending on your role, you will also have the option to work remotely for up to four weeks a year.”

“In terms of timing, many locations around the world are in different phases and you will hear more details shortly,” wrote Cook. “For Santa Clara Valley, we plan to begin our new adjusted pilot with all employees in the office three days beginning the week of September 5th.”

Apple was well known in the tech industry for discouraging working from home, prior to Coronavirus pandemic.

Apple also differs from other tech firms such as Twitter and Facebook, which gives employees the option to opt for permanent home working.