56% of Apple Staff Consider Quitting After Launch of "Hybrid-Working" Pilot

Apple CEO Tim Cook might want to call it a day with the “hybrid-working pilot.”

More than three out of four verified Apple employees (76%) are dissatisfied with the company’s return-to-office plans, according to a recent survey of 652 verified Apple professionals in the U.S. from the professional social network Blind.

“Makes no sense,” a verified Apple professional said about the return-to-office policy in a discussion on Blind. “It’s like Apple doesn’t want to retain any talent.”

Apple introduced a hybrid-working pilot, which required employees to return to the office at least one day a week by April 11, 2022. The number of mandatory in-office work increased to two days each week at the end of April, and on May 23, it will be at least three days, including Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

For some employees at the iPhone maker, the hybrid-work policy has even created a culture of fear among colleagues.

“Leadership is tone-deaf,” said another verified Apple professional on Blind. “Some directors may not care or force [a return to the office] but there is always the question of another employee reporting me.”

“Apple has several cross org projects given the vertical structures of function instead of the traditional separation by product. You will end up working with people who don’t have this flexibility and they will escalate,” the same Apple employee explained.

Apple employee attrition may increase

Apple’s hybrid-working pilot, already in place for nearly a month, has won few fans among the company’s corporate rank-and-file.

Blind found that a majority of Apple professionals (56%) are considering looking for another job because they are dissatisfied with the hybrid work policy.

“The 15th of April is a stock vest date, I expect to see many people quitting as soon as the cash lands in their account,” a verified Apple professional warned on Blind, referring to the restricted stock units many corporate employees earn as part of their total compensation.

Four out of five professionals are considering looking for another job in the next three months, according to a separate survey of nearly 7,000 verified professionals by Blind. When asked what could keep them at their jobs, continued remote work was the second-most cited response, second only to a pay raise. The opportunity to work from home came ahead of better employee benefits, a promotion, opportunities for professional growth, and even an improved work-life balance.

Indeed, nearly three out of five Apple professionals (58%) said they knew of a colleague who has quit because of Apple’s return-to-office policy, according to Blind.

“My friends who left got 30-40% pay increases and permanent remote at competitors,” a verified Apple professional explained on Blind.

“Apple is going to see attrition like no other come June,” a verified Apple employee warned in a discussion on Blind, referring to planned departures after May 23, when the return-to-office plan ramps up in-office work to three times weekly. “60% of my team doesn’t even live near the office. They are not returning.”

The bottom line

More than three out of four Apple professionals are unhappy with the company’s return-to-office plan, according to a survey from Blind. A majority of verified Apple employees surveyed said they are considering looking for another job because of the hybrid work policy. Even more, workers knew of a colleague who had already quit to avoid the mandated in-office work.

Methodology

Blind conducted an online survey of 652 verified Apple professionals in the U.S. on its platform from April 13 to 19, 2022, to understand how they felt about the company’s return-to-office plan.

Originally published on Teamblind's blog.