Apple is now stalking its employee’s badges to make sure they are coming into the office
Office working pushed heavily by Apple
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Appleappears to have taken an extreme next step in pushing ahead with its return-to-office mandate, leaving many employees facing a tough decision.
Zoë Schiffer ofPlatformerexplained in atweetthat the iPhone maker is tracking employees’ attendance via their badge records as it stands its ground on a three-day-per-week policy.
Workers failing to adhere could face “escalating warnings” that in some cases are said to be leading to termination, however the precise details of any consequences remain undercover, for now at least.
Apple return to office
After being forced to send workers home during the pandemic, Apple gradually started to require employees to return to the office in ahybrid workingsetup. Its latest policy, as of September 2022, is that workers should be in the office at least three days per week.
However, the precise routine differs from team to team with some employees needed at their formal workplace location full-time, and others slightly more flexible.
These are the best online collaboration tools>Is Apple finally working on a ChatGPT rival?>Most of us think we’re wasting time on ‘pointless’ office meetings
More recently, the company has been slated fordelaying workers’ bonuses, shifting them from twice per year to once.
Amid swathes of other cost-cutting measures, Apple CEOTim Cookexplained that layoffs would be a “last resort”, however introducing a policy whereby employees would be putting themselves at risk for failing to comply could lay the foundation for dismissals.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Apple did not immediately respond toTechRadar Pro’s request for more information on its return-to-office policy and related employee tracking.
More broadly, the general sentiment for a mass return to office seems somewhat mixed.AmazonCEO Andy Jassy gave workers a May deadline which was met with as many as 14,000 sharing their dissatisfaction via a Slack channel and subsequentlycreating a petition, while Google’s office policy has been partly contradicted by Google Cloud’s request that its workers share desks on alternate days - another move met with hugedisgruntlement.
With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!
A new form of macOS malware is being used by devious North Korean hackers
Scammers are using fake copyright infringement claims to hack businesses
Quordle today – hints and answers for Saturday, November 9 (game #1020)
