[jakenberg]

Apple is in a very tough spot. A $5bn headquarters sits relatively vacant with decreasing likelihood that there will be a return on investment. They ironically dug themselves into a hole by preaching how it would revolutionize the workplace while most feel this way about WFH. The paradigm shift seems obvious, especially when you account for the unrelenting rise in commercial real estate prices since Covid.

Perhaps Apple cannot acknowledge the foot in their mouth because it would contribute to a systemic collapse of the commercial real estate market... crazy times.

[Tiktaalik]

Apple fucked themselves by embracing the status quo of silicon valley commuter car culture.

It's hard not to notice that so many of the complaints around return to work from SV area posters centre around commuting woes.

If SV cities were compact, walkable places where people could easily walk, bike and take transit to work returning to work wouldn't cause so much grief.

People are upset at the notion of a return to an hours long commute on the highway. If their commute was a 15 minute bike ride there'd be less opposition.

Apple built the wrong thing in the wrong place, and never became politically involved in trying to make life better for their employees.

[dml2135]

While I don't think you are completely wrong, as a New Yorker I have to say that you'll find the same conversation going on here, except about the subway.

Commuting just sucks in general.

[0xjmp]

I've worked remote on and off for 6 years. The first two years was pure bliss. I slowly started to realize that having no hobbies, partner, etc was not good for my mental health. It took about 6 months to fix that. That has been (in my experience) the only thing that would excite me enough to go into the office.

I walked to work in Los Angeles (can you believe it?) for 2 years in-between and it was great - i loved that job. It still didn't hold a candle to WFH for me. I think many have realized this same thing in recent years: it becomes very hard to want to go back for a multitude of reasons.

[nottorp]

Read somewhere that their famous 5Bn headquarters is also fully open plan office, as opposed to their previous buildings.