- May. 19th 2022 4:55 am PT
A tweet by Elon Musk mocks Apple over the company’s announcement of a further delay to the next phase of its return-to-office plans …
Most Apple corporate employees were originally set to return to the office in September of last year, after more than a year of remote working due to the pandemic. The hybrid approach would see staff back into the office at least three days a week.
That date was repeatedly delayed, before Apple finally imposed a policy of two days a week from last month, with a switch to three days due from May 23.
However, just one week before the policy was set to come into effect, Apple announced yet another delay – the sixth one.
Apple is once again pausing its return to in-person plans due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. The company had originally said that employees would be required to work in-person three days per week starting next week on May 23, but it is now delaying that requirement.
Notably, the company has also not set a new date for when the requirement will go into effect. Employees are still expected to work two days per week in person though.
When Bloomberg tweeted news of the delay, Musk replied with a meme reading, “Put on gym clothes, watch TV.”
pic.twitter.com/qup2NUiOM1
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2022
It seems an odd response when there is plenty of evidence to show that, for many, remote working boosts productivity and reduces burnout.
When employees have access to remote-work options such as a flexible work location, distributed teams, and/or the option to work from home, burnout at work decreases by over a quarter (26%).
Overall, compared to those without remote-work access, access to remote work increases employee well-being, productivity, innovation, and inclusion. It increases innovation by 63%, work engagement by 75%, organisational commitment by 68%, and 93% of employees are more likely to report feeling included.
Fortune notes that Twitter employees have expressed concerns about the Musk’s attitude to work-life balance in general, and working from home in particular.
Musk praised China’s work culture, commending Chinese workers for “burning the 3 a.m. oil” and noting that “they won’t even leave the factory…whereas in America people are trying to avoid going to work at all.”
Employees at Twitter—the social media company Musk could be on the verge of taking over—have reportedly raised concerns that their option to work from home full-time could be rescinded if the deal goes through.
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Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!
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