Apple employees to return to offices April 11, according to report

[iMore.com]

Mark Gurman says Apple employees are to return to corporate offices in the U.S. by April 11.

Full story from the iMore Blog...

 

[Quis89]

Don't really have a dog in this fight but in general, I think "in-office" work for some roles is an antiquated ideology. If your work allows it, I believe employers should support it.

That said, I believe employers have the right to institute whatever workplace policy they choose. And we as those applying for these positions determine if we want to work for those employers or not. So if Apple sees a wave of good talent jumping ship for companies with more flexible working arrangements, that's part of the game.

I'm interested to see how the work force evolves over the next few years. There are a few companies who have implemented more flexible working arrangements permanently for their staff. When that is becoming a workplace perk, it may make it challenging to retain talent if you're not doing the same.

 

[anon(50597)]

Don't really have a dog in this fight but in general, I think "in-office" work for some roles is an antiquated ideology. If your work allows it, I believe employers should support it.

That said, I believe employers have the right to institute whatever workplace policy they choose. And we as those applying for these positions determine if we want to work for those employers or not. So if Apple sees a wave of good talent jumping ship for companies with more flexible working arrangements, that's part of the game.

I'm interested to see how the work force evolves over the next few years. There are a few companies who have implemented more flexible working arrangements permanently for their staff. When that is becoming a workplace perk, it may make it challenging to retain talent if you're not doing the same.

I like how you put this and agree. It will be interesting to see where this goes, probably somewhere in the middle.

I have some friends who work for a company with several hundred employees. Much of the work is over the phone or computer. They shut their local office and everyone works from home now. Why pay for expensive office space, utilities, etc. when you don’t have to? Of course not every company is in this exact situation.

 

[Quis89]

I like how you put this and agree. It will be interesting to see where this goes, probably somewhere in the middle.

I have some friends who work for a company with several hundred employees. Much of the work is over the phone or computer. They shut their local office and everyone works from home now. Why pay for expensive office space, utilities, etc. when you don’t have to? Of course not every company is in this exact situation.

Exactly. If you can get equal or more productivity out of your staff via remote work why not? Like you said, there are additional savings to be had.

 

[Up_And_Away]

I traveled for much of my professional career. From their I transitioned to full time remote support in 2018 (WebEx/web collaboration/remote workstation control made on site work lessof a value add for the increased customer cost). 3+ years in as completely WFH as well as for many from my group I can say this with relative certainty. WFH is absolutely positively not for everyone and it is not even close. A significantly overlooked component of office work/productivity is the very important human social interaction. WFH will introduce the unavoidable significant level of isolation that can be a negative for health. IME most want WFH but likely only for half will it be a benefit to them or the company. OTH some people thrived.
If you’re in management keep a sharp eye out for this. If you notice pattern changes then forklift that person to the office, if necessary, for at least a few days per week. This goes beyond simple productivity numbers. FYI, They will likely resist it because of the negative cycle it puts someone in. But you’ll be doing that person, as a human, a favor to get them back into the professional social environment and it will also benefit the company.

 

[Just_Me_D]

…WFH is absolutely positively not for everyone and it is not even close. A significantly overlooked component of office work/productivity is the very important human social interaction. WFH will introduce the unavoidable significant level of isolation that can be a negative for health….

You are spot-on that working from home is not for everyone. My GF is one such person. She hates it and prefers the personal interaction with co-workers and she thrives in that environment. Working completely from home affects her emotionally and sometimes physically. On the other hand, I typically work from home on Monday and Friday and I’m in the office on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. To me, that getting the best of both worlds.

 

[EdwinG]

I’m one of those that will work from the office, even if I can work from home, to create that life-work balance. I realized that I can’t concentrate as well at home. Also, I have very little human contact in WFH scenarios.

As soon as I could work from my office, I did so immediately, and I felt the benefits within days, so I have been back every workday since

 

[anon(50597)]

I work in healthcare so have to be in the hospital. I love it. Being around patients, coworkers, etc. is what I like best.

 

[Quis89]

I traveled for much of my professional career. From their I transitioned to full time remote support in 2018 (WebEx/web collaboration/remote workstation control made on site work lessof a value add for the increased customer cost). 3+ years in as completely WFH as well as for many from my group I can say this with relative certainty. WFH is absolutely positively not for everyone and it is not even close. A significantly overlooked component of office work/productivity is the very important human social interaction. WFH will introduce the unavoidable significant level of isolation that can be a negative for health. IME most want WFH but likely only for half will it be a benefit to them or the company. OTH some people thrived.
If you’re in management keep a sharp eye out for this. If you notice pattern changes then forklift that person to the office, if necessary, for at least a few days per week. This goes beyond simple productivity numbers. FYI, They will likely resist it because of the negative cycle it puts someone in. But you’ll be doing that person, as a human, a favor to get them back into the professional social environment and it will also benefit the company.

Absolutely. It’s not for everyone. I think we as adults should make that decision. We know where we work best. I have issue with management thinks they know best. Some people thrive working from home. Personally, I enjoy working in the office but there are far more distractions in the office sometimes than at home. Nobody just stopping by my desk to chat for example.

 

[Up_And_Away]

Kudos to your GF, not everyone can openly recognize that in themselves. They will WFH even though it has those negative elements for them. As mentioned I'm full WFH for some years now. It's got its positives but oh it has had a negatives too.

I think your office/WFH mix is going to be the ideal for most and I suspect it'll be a net positive for the company too. It brings the best of both worlds, getting to spend less time commuting/being able to spend more time at home (positive mental aspect) but also getting in the social-work environment (positive mental aspect too). Just IMHO, humans need that social interaction that the majority, likely, get from that social work environment.

 

[Up_And_Away]

No offense intended but I think you're as wrong as you are right. "We know where we work best" just isn't close to true IME. People get into a certain groove that even if it isn't a mentally unhealthy groove, it is very difficult to get out of it. It's why you'll see people stay in a job for years that is bad circle for everyone. Ironically sometimes a layoff (as tough as that day is to experience) ends up a net positive sometimes. They just needed that shock to the system to put them on a better path.
A manager (a good manager) hopefully sees changes in that staff member and gives them a proverbial shove in the right direction to get into a different/better groove. And may only need 2 days a week required in the office.

 

[Wotchered]

Office workers are weird little things aren’t they ? The rest of the working world does not have a choice about where they work, if they want to work at all.
But office workers feel entitled to try to prescribe where they work, and tell their employers when they are doing it best !
“ the best I can “ is often not good enough.

 

[anon(50597)]

Office workers are weird little things aren’t they ? The rest of the working world does not have a choice about where they work, if they want to work at all.
But office workers feel entitled to try to prescribe where they work, and tell their employers when they are doing it best !
“ the best I can “ is often not good enough.

I think it’s a mix of both.
My wife works for a small but very good company that allows here the autonomy to do both. Most of her work is from the office but if live brings her the opportunity to work from home for a day or two she is allowed to do that. Ultimately it should be what works best for everyone; employer, employee and customer.

 

[Annie_M]

Both my husband and I work at a University. I’m in an academic department that deals with students on a daily basis. My husband works in the IT department. I worked from home at the beginning of the pandemic but returned when students came back. My husband opted to continue working from the office during the pandemic, because someone needed to be present. He did this so that everyone else could work from home. We both prefer going into the office, and being able to interact with others.