Apple’s work-from-home policy will soon be tightened in favor of a hybrid model that will require employees to show up to offices at least three days a week.
- What is happening? Apple’s hybrid model assumes that workers come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which are company-wide days to work together. Workers will also be required to spend an additional day in the office, as determined by their team leaders.
- Why care? Like many companies, Apple is facing strong resistance from its employees who want to return to the office. On the other hand, Apple’s work-from-home policy can’t be as flexible as some of its Silicon Valley peers because the vertical integration it’s known for relies heavily on in-person work.
- What to do? Keep a close eye on how Apple handles the return of its employees to personal work. Apple’s example would be a good model for how hybrid work environments can support innovation.
The party is over: Apple wants to return employees to offices
Starting September 5, 2022, some corporate employees are expected to show up at offices on two specific days: Tuesday and Thursday. The third day in the office will be determined specifically from one department to another.
Apple’s original plan called for in-person work on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. The hybrid model will first be applied to the company’s corporate employees living in the Bay Area. Apple, in its generosity, will allow employees to work from home twice a week.
Apple just fired 100 recruiters
In a report for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman learned that Apple had already laid off about a hundred contract recruiters. No staff members were fired, and some contract recruiters kept their jobs. The company has previously said it will change its business needs and slow down hiring in the face of a creeping recession.
“We’re still hiring, but we’re doing it consciously,”chief executive Tim Cook said during a call with investors. At the same time, the company announced plans to return employees to the office for at least three days a week in September.
Tim Cook’s memo to employees about the hybrid work model
Cook revealed this in a memo sent to employees and obtained by The Verge:
Team,
The early launch of our hybrid pilot project was a great opportunity to get together, reconnect with our teams and meet new colleagues in person. For many of us, this has been a transitional period as we have dealt with the changing incidence rates in many parts of the world, so thank you for your teamwork and professionalism as we continue to move forward.
I am writing to you today with two updates, one about the changes we are making to our hybrid pilot and the other about the timing.
When we announced the pilot a year ago, we said it would be a learning experience for all of us. And we’ve made a commitment to adapt to create an agile environment that will allow our teams to thrive. Based on the feedback and opinions we have received from you and your managers, we are making the following changes:
Pilot teams will come to the office three days a week, with Tuesday and Thursday being set days for the entire company, but now your third day will be determined by your teams. Each team will be working on deciding which day is right for them, and you’ll hear from your leaders shortly. As before, many employees will be able to work 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.
We are excited to move forward with the pilot and believe this revised structure will increase our ability to work flexibly while maintaining the personal collaboration that is so important to our culture. We also know that we still have a lot to learn. And we are committed to listening, adapting and growing together in the weeks and months ahead.
In terms of timelines, many places around the world are at different stages and you will hear more details shortly. For the Santa Clara Valley, we plan to start our new adjusted pilot with all employees in the office in three days, starting the week of September 5th.
In the near future, we will continue to fight the pandemic together as the situation develops. We are monitoring the data closely and you will continue to receive updates to the health and safety protocols for your location as needed from our COVID-19 response team. In the meantime, it is reassuring that children under the age of five are now eligible to be vaccinated in many countries, and I encourage anyone who can get a vaccine or a booster dose to do so if you haven’t already.
As we continue this journey, I want to say how grateful I am for all that you do. I have never been more excited about the opportunities ahead, the impact we can have on the lives we touch, and the amazing team that makes it all possible. I look forward to working with you to create an agile environment at Apple where together we can make even more difference to the lives of our users around the world.
Tim
The last time Apple announced that the work-from-home party wasn’t going to last forever, there was some excitement among employees who had the opportunity to experience the freedom of not commuting to work every single day. The pandemic has forced Apple to shelve its hybrid operating model, turning its Apple Park headquarters into a ghost town.
Craig Federighi brings more clarity
Following Cook’s email outlining Apple’s hybrid work model, Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, also sent out memos to employees with more details about the hybrid work model.
Team,
Tim sent out a memo to Apple team members this afternoon about our hybrid pilot and plans to return to the office, and I wanted to know how the news would affect our team.
First of all, thank you very much. The past few years have presented some real challenges for all of us, and I appreciate your passion and commitment to creating amazing, amazing, high-quality software for our customers and developers around the world.
After years of in limbo (and a few false starts), this is indeed happening: the week of September 5 marks the true start of our experimental hybrid project in the Santa Clari Valley – and personally, I can’t wait to feel the special energy of having us all back in the office together! Note: For all other locations, reopening dates may vary depending on current COVID-19 conditions around the world. You can expect to receive communications from the Covid-19 Response Team shortly with times for your area.
As you read in Tim’s note, we’re modifying the pilot project so that our three days in the office include two days when we all work together in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays (the general days of our company), and one additional day in the office. a day chosen by your team, prioritizing collaboration with your direct colleagues. Over the next week, share your thoughts on your team’s third day with your manager. This will help them determine which day is best for the entire team.
Needless to say, this next phase is experimental, so we can only be sure that we will learn a lot in the coming months.
I’m excited about this next chapter and everything that lies ahead.
See you later!
Craig
Don’t forget that September is the most important month for Apple.
Why September?
The iPhone, Apple’s bread and butter, gets updated in September, as does the Apple Watch. These releases mark the beginning of a product boom that continues into October (new Macs, iPads, AirPods, Apple TVs, etc.) and sometimes into November, when Apple releases its latest gadgets ahead of the holiday shopping season.