Because of Its Office Return Policy, Apple has Lost its Director of Machine Learning

'I Really Feel that Giving My Team More Flexibility Would have been the Greatest Policy.'

In the post-pandemic age, many enterprises, particularly computer firms, have experienced substantial changes in workplace culture. Some well-known companies have fully embraced remote work, including Meta/Facebook, Slack, Twitter, and, more recently, Airbnb. Meanwhile, major behemoths such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Apple have taken a hybrid approach, requiring workers to work in the office for a set number of days each week. Employees are increasingly questioning the return to traditional office life, as some organizations have implemented policies to gradually phase out full-time remote work in favor of in-person attendance. Apple's hybrid work plan, which began last month, was similar in that it required staff to come to work at least once a week in April and twice a week beginning May 4. Apple employees published an open letter last week denouncing the company's hybrid work-from-home policy, which began on May 23rd and requires staff to be in the office three days a week. According to a tweet from The Verge's Zo Schiffer, Apple has lost director of machine learning Ian Goodfellow over the policy. According to Schiffer, Goodfellow may have been the company's most quoted machine learning expert. In a memo to staff, he stated, "I believe strongly that more flexibility would have been the greatest policy for my team." Apple employees who reject the RTO (Return-To-Office) approach formed an organization named "Apple Together." They listed a number of reasons. They pointed out that, thanks to programs like Slack, in-person communication isn't always necessary. They also disputed Apple's claim that in-person work allows for "serendipity" when workers cross paths, claiming that Apple's segregated office structure prevents this. It also stated that daily commutes are "a significant waste of time as well as both mental and physical resources," and that the policy will result in a workforce that is "younger, whiter, more male-dominated, more neuro-normative, and more able-bodied." The group mostly questioned Apple's hypocrisy in terms of product marketing. "We brag to our consumers about how fantastic our products are for remote work, but we can't utilize them ourselves? What makes us think our customers will take that seriously? How can we know what challenges in remote work need to be addressed in our products unless we live it? "According to the letter. Apple, which made a record $97.3 billion in the third quarter, has recently faced employee unrest. In addition to the RTO concerns, the company is dealing with an NLRB complaint over hostile working conditions, and Apple Store staff are discreetly attempting to unionize.