Apple proposes more flexible work schedules amid unionization efforts

AppleInsider

Apple is retooling work schedules to provide more flexibility for retail employees in an attempt to get ahead of unionization efforts.

Credit: Laurenz Heymann/Unsplash

The Cupertino tech giant has begun informing staff at certain stores that new scheduling changes are set to roll out soon. Some changes will go into effect in the next few weeks, while others may not arrive until later in the year.

The changes, seen by Bloomberg, are as follows:

• A minimum of 12 hours in between shifts, an increase from the current minimum of 10 hours.


• A maximum of three days per week when employees can work past 8 p.m., unless they choose to work late shifts.


• Employees won't be scheduled to work more than five days in a row, a change from a maximum of six days in a row. There could be exemptions during new product launches and holidays.


• Full-time employees will be eligible for a dedicated weekend day off for each six-month period.

The retooled benefits are taking place as Apple prepares to battle unionization efforts that are taking place across the U.S. in its retail locations.

In February, Apple planned to dole out raises to employees in retail locations.

Later, in May, the company began notifying employees that it would increase the starting wage for retail employees to $22 per hour.

Employees in Atlanta were set to hold a union vote, only to later withdraw it. The labor group representing the retail staff alleged that Apple carried out illegal union-busting tactics.

Read on AppleInsider

robin huber

Cool how flexible and employee-friendly corporations get when unions appear. Kinda like how safely people drive when there’s a cop in sight. 

crowley

A whole weekend day every six months?!

The fact that Apple is only offering these now is a very good case for a union. 

premi

The company that is so “progressive” and panders to whatever is the thing at the moment seems really upset about unions. Funny how that works. 

ihatescreennames

crowley said:

A whole weekend day every six months?!

The fact that Apple is only offering these now is a very good case for a union. 

I’m not sure if I’m reading it correctly but I think what they’re saying is FT employees can choose a weekend day to have scheduled off, and every 6 months they have the opportunity to switch the day. Last I knew, at Apple weekend days were Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

Part of the reason I left Apple was their inflexibility around weekends (and also that the schedule changed from week to week. I could never understand why we couldn’t have a fixed schedule). The scheduling at Apple Retail makes it difficult for me as a parent with a young child. 

Hopefully these changes are a first step in the right direction. 

mikewallace

ihatescreennames said:

…(and also that the schedule changed from week to week. I could never understand why we couldn’t have a fixed schedule)…

This sadly is something that is likely long gone for anyone being paid hourly. It’s not just an Apple store problem, or even retail. The move to ‘flexibility’ has been underway for well over 40 years now. Any fixed schedule is a fixed cost, and managers hate fixed costs as it doesn’t allow for them to manage it and make performance claims.

Fred257

Weekends? If it wasn’t for unions people would have no days off. Just like in China. Unions are the only reason people have any benefits at their jobs to begin with. I’m laughing that Apple is now catering to employees because of the union drive.

chadbag

Fred257 said:

Weekends? If it wasn’t for unions people would have no days off. Just like in China. Unions are the only reason people have any benefits at their jobs to begin with. I’m laughing that Apple is now catering to employees because of the union drive.

While unions have had an effect on how companies treat employees, “benefits” per se aren’t thanks to unions.  At least in the US

During WW2 the US had wage / salary freezes by government mandate.  Part of the war efforts and all.  Companies were strapped for labor and couldn’t compete on wage/salary.  But the wage freeze didn’t apply to non cash pay son companies started to offer other things that weren’t cash as incentives to compete for employees.  Healthcare and other benefits etc mainly came about during the war as ways around government wage freezes and of course once you start offering that sort of thing you can’t get rid of it. 

22july2013

Fred257 said:

Weekends? If it wasn’t for unions people would have no days off. Just like in China. Unions are the only reason people have any benefits at their jobs to begin with. 

Then how do you explain that 49% of US citizens are "very satisfied" with their current job and 30% are "somewhat satisfied", while only 11% of American workers are unionized? How can 79% of Americans be "satisfied" when hardly anyone is unionized?

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2016/10/06/3-how-americans-view-their-jobs/ <--

bageljoey

22july2013 said:

Fred257 said:

Weekends? If it wasn’t for unions people would have no days off. Just like in China. Unions are the only reason people have any benefits at their jobs to begin with. 

Then how do you explain that 49% of US citizens are "very satisfied" with their current job and 30% are "somewhat satisfied", while only 11% of American workers are unionized? How can 79% of Americans be "satisfied" when hardly anyone is unionized?

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2016/10/06/3-how-americans-view-their-jobs/ <--

You can benefit from unions even if you aren’t in a union—this article makes that abundantly  clear. Did you even read the article?  Apple retail employees across the country who are not unionized are seeing significant benefits clearly as a result of union drives at a few locations. 

That doesn’t even begin to recognize the historical benefits that union activity has created in the labor marketplace as a whole (the 8-hour day/40 hour work week, overtime pay…)

ronn

22july2013 said:

Fred257 said:

Weekends? If it wasn’t for unions people would have no days off. Just like in China. Unions are the only reason people have any benefits at their jobs to begin with. 

Then how do you explain that 49% of US citizens are "very satisfied" with their current job and 30% are "somewhat satisfied", while only 11% of American workers are unionized? How can 79% of Americans be "satisfied" when hardly anyone is unionized?

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2016/10/06/3-how-americans-view-their-jobs/ <--

Unions scare the mess out of companies. So they spend millions on anti-union campaigns -- including shady or even illegal tactics since there is little the Feds can really do to punish big biz. That's because they know that most favor unions and that unions get results, even if drives ultimately fall short

https://news.gallup.com/poll/354455/approval-labor-unions-highest-point-1965.aspx

Sixty-eight percent of Americans approve of labor unions. Though statistically similar to last year's 65%, the current reading is the highest Gallup has measured since 71% in 1965.

robin huber

Microsoft just announced that they will no longer actively resist unions. Sad day when MSFT is more advanced than APPL. Maybe Cook will be shamed into this enlightened approach. 

RudeBoyRudy

How many people here work in a union job?