Apple employees are coming together to fight against the company’s latest bid to bring employees back to its corporate offices.
A group of Apple employees acting as an unofficial union have launched a petition asking Apple to allow location flexibility for work. Apple recently announced a September 5 deadline for corporate employees to return to the office, after multiple delays to the same. Called Apple Together, the group’s petition already has over 670 signatures, which is a decent chunk.
Apple’s recent memo asked employees to return to the office for at least three days a week. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be compulsory under this new system, and employees can settle on the third day with their team leaders.
Petition says “Apple should encourage, not prohibit, work flexible”
The petition by Apple Together argues that the recently announced uniform mandate is inconsiderate of the unique demands of each role and the diversity of employees. It notes that Apple’s official stance is to do what’s right rather than what’s easy and is demanding that it reflect in its work flexibility.
Are you an office-based Apple employee? Are you less than thrilled with the RTO mandate? Sign the petition, let’s stand together. #appletogether https://t.co/KO0Y0rGvQBAugust 22, 2022
There are two key demands the petition makes. The first is that individual employees should be able to work with their immediate manager to figure out a flexible work arrangement. Secondly, the petition asks that these negotiations not require higher-up approvals or disclosure of private information.
This petition comes at a time when Apple is going through a hiring slowdown. It recently fired around 100 contract recruiters, signaling a major lane shift in its deliberate hiring stance. As such, it remains to be seen how Apple will respond to this pushback, which could go either way. The petition will be a major headache for Apple ahead of September, when it’s expected to launch its next best iPhone, the iPhone 14, at an event.