March 24, 2023
In an effort to enforce its return-to-office policy, tech giant Apple is reportedly tracking in-person employee attendance via badge records.
According to a tweet by Zoe Schiffer from Platformer, employees who fail to come in at least three times a week are given escalating warnings. While this isn’t a direct policy from Apple, some organizations within the company say non-compliance could result in termination.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to adopt work from home, and even Apple wasn’t spared. However, with the reduction in COVID-19 risks and readily available vaccines, the corporate world has been pushing for a return to the office. But this move has been met with resistance from some employees who are vocal about the potential health hazards and lack of understanding about how working from home has improved productivity and morale for some departments.
This news comes just a week after reports that Apple is seeking various cost-cutting measures. The company isn’t targeting mass layoffs like Facebook but is leaving positions open after an employee departs. If an employee is terminated due to failure to comply with the return-to-office mandate, Apple would have one less employee to pay. However, termination due to non-compliance is not an official policy at Apple, so it’s unlikely the company would use it as a serious cost-cutting measure.
Apple’s efforts to enforce its return-to-office policy follow similar moves by other tech giants. Google, for instance, has delayed its return-to-office plan to give employees more time to prepare. Microsoft, on the other hand, has announced a hybrid work policy that allows some employees to work from home permanently.
The sources for this piece include an article in AppleInsider.
