Some Apple Store employees unhappy with work conditions

OneMoreThing... · Jul 1, 2011

Some Apple Store employees unhappy with work conditions

Pleasant decor and friendly employees make most Apple stores seem bright and cheery. Behind the scenes, though, some stores are not as congenial as they seem, according to a report from In These Times.

Three Apple employees have come forward with a not-so-happy tale of what it is like to work at an Apple retail store. One worker complains about disparate pay with newly hired workers making more than experienced workers. When a few employees approached management about this issue, they were told "money shouldn't be an issue when you're employed at Apple" and their time at Apple "should be looked at as an experience."

Other workers describe Apple's tactic to keep health care costs low by defining full-time employees as those who work 40 hours per week and have open availability to work any day needed. If you have a restricted schedule, you are not considered full-time even if you put in a full 40 hours each week. Work schedules are inflexible and stores are often understaffed during prime hours.

The word union was mentioned, but the three employees avoided the word like the plague. The mere mention of it could cost them their job. Even if the workers are unhappy, they are reluctant to band together against Apple. The one exception is Cory Moll, who is working to unionize Apple's 30,000-strong work force starting with the store in which he works.

When reading this, keep in mind that these are the experiences of three employees. It is by no means a reflection of every Apple store across the world. There are 29,997 employees whose voices have yet to be heard.

Some Apple Store employees unhappy with work conditions originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MancmacUK · Jul 1, 2011

I bet they're not unhappy with the staff discount !

MYmacROX · Jul 1, 2011

MancmacUK said:
I bet they're not unhappy with the staff discount !

Doesn't help much considering the low wages. $:\$

iggibar · Jul 1, 2011

They can always go work at Burger King if they hate it so much!

baggss · Jul 1, 2011

Its a job. If the economy was booming they might have the luxury of whining about this but right now is not the time to complain. There are thousands who would be MORE than happy to take their places and have a job.

Doesn't matter where you work or what you do, there are always going to be those few....

XJ-linux · Jul 2, 2011

Go work at the Microsoft Store? Learn a trade? There are options. With the way things are moving toward online media sales, and places like Best Buy becoming resellers of Macs and iPads, and the ever present Apple Online Store (for hardware) I'd imagine Apple would close their brick and mortar stores before going union. I always viewed their stores as more a prestige thing that a corner stone of their sales and distribution model.

Mac23 · Jul 2, 2011

In terms of retail, Apple pays pretty well.

I've read reports/leaks where Genius bar employees have started out at or around 17 bucks an hour. I know college graduates who are struggling to find jobs that pay that much.

I've also seen where Apple employees get bonuses every year, and it was either last year or the year before where it was reported that every Apple employee received an iPhone? I don't know if that's true or not, but it wouldn't exactly surprise me.

However, if somebody isn't happy with their work environment and has a legit gripe, why keep quiet? Keeping quiet will only make things worse in the long run. People should be able to voice their concerns/criticisms without being blasted for it.

Does/should Apple go union? No. And certainly the voice of 3 Apple employees is no where near a good enough sample size to tell whether or not Apple is a good employer.

But, going off of what I've read/seen/heard about Apple, I'd rather work for them than just about any other retail position.

Every employee I've encountered at our nearest Apple store right outside of Cleveland in Crocker Park seemed to like their job.

Chef_eam · Jul 2, 2011

I'd like to see any company where 100% of the employees are happy 100% of the time.

Bob_Stan · Jul 2, 2011

It's a job. Some people will like it, some will not. If the job doesn't suit you, move on.

HelpdeskRules · Jul 3, 2011

Working in a shop/store has never paid well. The best thing to do is make the most of it. Learn what you can and move on to better things.

I worked in retail shops for around 10 years (the first 4 as a student) and I went from a stationery shop to a specialist PC retailer to an electrical retailer. I gained experience in paperclips, building & repairing computers and came away with 2 NVQ Level 2 Qualifications from the electrical retailer.

I used the experience I gained from these places to begin my career in the IT Support industry and I'm now in a senior position.

Unless of course you want to become a manager of a retail store then you have that option. I work at the Head Office of a retail company and see shop assistants move to become supervisors, then managers, then area managers and we even have a Director who worked his way right from working in a store up to where he is now!

a.j.c. · Jul 3, 2011

i know at my local apple store nobody makes below 14 an hour which imo is pretty good

moff · Jul 6, 2011

No right to union membership? What sort of crappy employment laws do you have in the US?

bobtomay · Jul 6, 2011

moff said:
No right to union membership? What sort of crappy employment laws do you have in the US?

How about the right to earn what you're worth rather than be stuck making a certain wage because part of what you earn the company has to go for paying the sap standing next to you that only does 1/4 or 1/2 the job you do, whether you're the best or the worst at your job, you both make the same money. For those of us worth their salt, that just blows!!!

EvenStranger · Jul 6, 2011

Mac23 said:
In terms of retail, Apple pays pretty well.

I've read reports/leaks where Genius bar employees have started out at or around 17 bucks an hour. I know college graduates who are struggling to find jobs that pay that much.

Some do, but most Geniuses start at around 11.50-13.50 from my experience. I was an exception, and started much higher than that based on previous experience and salary.

Mac23 said:
I've also seen where Apple employees get bonuses every year, and it was either last year or the year before where it was reported that every Apple employee received an iPhone? I don't know if that's true or not, but it wouldn't exactly surprise me.

Bonuses were eliminated shortly after I started for everyone but store managers. It was a huge deal for some of my coworkers, because they had taken a lower starting salary on the presumption that the bonuses would make up the difference. When the iPhone was first released in 2007, all full time employees received one, and were later taxed on the value of the iPhone as income. Also, the service plan was not covered.

Working for Apple was an interesting experience, and I met, worked with, and became friends with some of the most fascinating people. My customers included actors, musicians and artists. My coworkers included a photographer who works for Sports Illustrated, an actor who now owns a theater in Pigeon Forge, TN, a composer who had an original show produced in Chicago... the list goes on and on.

As far as the job itself - it was a job. It had its paperwork, it's bureaucracy, its ups and downs, headaches and victories. In the end, my only major complaint was the long hours and no weekends that retail almost always requires. I'm currently working 8-4, M-F, and I'm spoiled rotten! But I still miss the people, the interactions with the public, and yeah, the retail "buzz" at times.

iWhat · Jul 6, 2011

I never have seen the Apple Store as a fantastic place to work, but rather bragging rights.

MYmacROX · Jul 6, 2011

EvenStranger said:
Some do, but most Geniuses start at around 11.50-13.50 from my experience. I was an exception, and started much higher than that based on previous experience and salary.

That's for Geniuses. If you're just front of store sales/helper it's less. I know, I asked.
For the record, my earlier comment was just a factual statement, not a complaint. The discount is always enough for an Apple Store employee to stock up on goodies.

iWhat said:
I never have seen the Apple Store as a fantastic place to work, but rather bragging rights.

Of the individuals I've known that worked in Apple Stores, they were all very happy with it. Of course, each location is different and depends on the mangers and fellow employees.
Overall, I think the intended atmosphere makes for an enjoyable work environment.

iBeldar · Jul 7, 2011

I'm just going to say I work at Pizza Hut. I work in grease for minimum wage. I'll gladly take a job at an Apple Store if they hate it so much.

schweb · Jul 7, 2011

iBeldar said:
I'm just going to say I work at Pizza Hut. I work in grease for minimum wage. I'll gladly take a job at an Apple Store if they hate it so much.

The grass is always greener on the other side.

Every job has its particular issues, I guarantee there is no one who is ever satisfied with their jobs 100% of the time.

Just because it's an Apple Store doesn't mean it's like working in heaven, I'm sure there's alot that sucks about it at times also. It's a retail store, just like other retail stores.

TattooedMac · Jul 7, 2011

MF News Bot said:
. . . . . they were told "money shouldn't be an issue when you're employed at Apple" and their time at Apple "should be looked at as an experience."

What a load of crap. Unless management was told to say this, the 'management' that did say this needs re-training. Im sorry i do the hours and put in a hard days work, i expect to get a full days pay and the *experience* i get working for a particular company should be a bonus.
No matter how good a company thinks they are, in this day and age its the $ that talks for the workers not *experience*

baggss · Jul 9, 2011

TattooedMac said:
What a load of crap. Unless management was told to say this, the 'management' that did say this needs re-training. Im sorry i do the hours and put in a hard days work, i expect to get a full days pay and the *experience* i get working for a particular company should be a bonus.
No matter how good a company thinks they are, in this day and age its the $ that talks for the workers not *experience*

Then I suggest that you not go work in an Apple store....