Musk mocks Apple over return to office delay with bizarre meme

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…
Background
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 a week in person though.
Elon Musk mocks Apple over delay
When Bloomberg tweeted news of the delay, Musk replied with a meme reading, “Put on gym clothes, watch TV.”
It seems an odd response when there is a 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%, organizational 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 am 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be on the verge of taking over — have reportedly raised concerns that their option to work from home full-time could be rescinded if the deal goes through.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. The sea.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:
Friendly communicator. Music maven. Explorer. Pop culture trailblazer. Social media practitioner.