We have discussed at length the many ramifications and lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workforce. One of the greatest adjustments companies made was the abrupt switch from the majority of their personnel being in the office to a remote workforce. As mandates are being eased and businesses open up fully again, we are learning just how dramatic an impact the lockdowns and distancing had on culture, and the desire for work flexibility.
One of the most influential organizations in the world is Apple, who this week notified employees of the strategy to move employees back to a central office environment. The letter from Apple CEO Tim Cook asked employees to return to office work in September of 2021. For most employees, the plan will allow them to remote in twice a week and additionally choose to work from home for up to two weeks a year. For the tech titan, this hybrid solution is a huge departure from their standard 40 hour workweek.
Employees have countered Cook’s letter with a letter of their own, proposing additional work from home flexibility. The letter to Cook and his executive team was submitted on June 4, and was authored by 80 employees. It was posted in an internal Slack channel of advocates for remote work options.
Employees expressed gratitude for Apple’s willingness to move forward using a hybrid approach to employment post-COVID-19; which includes three days per week physically in the office building. However, they suggested that the proposed return plan does not adequately address their needs and priorities, which have shifted after 15 months at home. Many changes have occurred with families, job situations, schooling and more – making the prospect of a return to commuting difficult to swallow.
The employee letter confirms that Apple’s remote work flexibility policy has already caused some of their colleagues to quit. Without continuation of work-from-home flexibility, many employees feel that they will have to make a decision between their families, their overall well-being, and being a productive and dynamic member of the Apple team. There also seems to be a perceived gap between the executives at Apple and their employees. Those writing the letter speak to this rift and suggest remote work can yield the same benefits as in-person meetings. Employees went on to acknowledge that since the lockdowns began, they often felt ignored and marginalized. The employees stressed that as the country is returning to normal, they anticipate the opportunity to fully execute their jobs, but without the need to report daily to a physical office. They made special note that executives seem to have amisconception as to the concept of working from home versus the reality of working from home.
Acknowledging that collaboration is imperative to success, the authors posited that physical co-location is not a driving factor – as Apple is already physically distributed with offices worldwide.
Historically, the best collaboration has always necessitated remote communication with teams in other offices and across various timezones – true even before the pandemic.
Apple employees also presented that remote work flexibility affords five important benefits: removing previously existing communication barriers; diversity and inclusion in retention and hiring; better work-life balance; reduced spread of pathogens; and better integration of existing remote workers.
As we progress down a post-COVID path, we are likely to see debates about what “returning to normal” really means. Organizations are expected to take the best lessons learned during the pandemic and incorporate them into “traditional ways” of operating. In the end, businesses may find themselves better off by accepting that sometimes, new and unexpected solutions for work flexibility are in fact the way of the future.
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