Apple Workers Are Fighting the Company’s Return-to-Office Mandate

Welcome back, readers! Sorry I’m getting to your inbox a little later than usual this morning, we had some technical issues. I hope you had a restful weekend. I’m your host, Jordan Parker Erb. In today’s edition, Apple workers are striking back against the company’s office-to-office plans.

Let’s begin.

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1. Earlier this month, Apple asked employees to return to the office at least three days a week. However, Apple employees are now pushing back against the plan.

• A group of Apple employees tweeted a petition, arguing that the company’s office-to-office mandate doesn’t take into account the unique needs of specific jobs or the diversity of individual employees.
• In the petition, the workers said they have demonstrated over the past two years that they can do “exceptional work” from home.
• They outlined a number of “compelling reasons and circumstances” that allow workers to work from home, including disability and care responsibilities – while some workers said they could simply be “happier and more productive” when working from home.

More on how Apple workers are hitting back.

In other news:

2. Staying with Apple, the company has released emergency security updates for its iPhones, iPads and Macs The company said a flaw in its latest update allowed hackers Take full control of a device. We break down how to update your iPhone to protect against security flaws.

3. Former Oracle employees criticized the unit’s leadership as out of touch. Laid-off employees recall how executives brushed off their concerns about a lack of raises and then proceeded to brag about their car collection. Workers describe “a real pride” among the staff.

4. Twitter employees are going to get only half of their normal annual bonus. According to The New York Times, Twitter’s CFO told employees that the company’s financial challenges could result in smaller annual bonuses for employees. What we know so far.

5. Dozens of Google’s external hires lost their jobs. The affected contractors — nearly all of whom work remotely to hire tech talent like engineers and data scientists for Google — apparently found out about the cuts during a wave of pre-recorded videos and told Insider the situation was “handled horribly.”

6. Tesla will raise the price of fully self-driving next month. Elon Musk said the price of driver-assistance software will increase by $15,000 – or 25% – on September 5. Get the full rundown.

7. VMware employees are leaving the firm in droves. After Broadcom announced plans to buy the firm, many employees turned to competitors for better offers, and those who stayed worried their jobs were at risk. Inside Talk Morale on VMware.

8. Mark Zuckerberg unveils a new Metaverse avatar. After social-media users mocked Zuckerberg’s previous creepy and dead-eyed avatar, the Meta CEO released a new, boyish version, which you can check out here.

tidbits:

9. Los Angeles-based startup Azure 3D is using recycled plastic in prefab tiny homes. With prices starting at $25,000, Azure says it can build homes 70% faster and 30% less expensive than “traditional home construction methods.” Take a look inside the tiny house.

10. A Tesla driver puts his car keys in his hands. As part of the beta testing group of VivoKey, a biotech company, the tech worker and Tesla owner had the chip implanted in his right arm for $400 by a professional piercer. Here’s how it’s done.

What we see today:

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Curated by Jordan Parker Erb of New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Hallam Bullock (Tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.