An internal survey organized internally by Apple employees shows that many inside the company are concerned about the proposed hybrid work model that will go into effect in September. As reported by the Verge, nearly 90% of respondents to the internal grassroots survey say that having flexibility is important to them.

The report explains that employees defined “location-flexible” as having the option to work from home indefinitely.

58.5% of respondents to the survey said they “strongly agree” with the statement, “I am worried that some of my colleagues will have to leave Apple due to LACK of location-flexible work options.” 36.7% said they might have to resign due to lack of flexibility.

In the survey, which was sent out in early June, nearly 90% of respondents said they “strongly agree” with the statement, “Location-flexible working options are a very important issue to me.” A total of 1,749 people answered the question. Employees defined “location-flexible” as the option to work from home indefinitely.

The Verge, however, adds some important context:

Another evidence of shift in Apple’s culture is a recently published interview at Forbes with Cher Scarlett, an Apple employee concerned about Apple’s return to in-person work.

The survey is not scientific — it was sent out in a Slack channel for employees to discuss remote work, and only a tiny fraction of Apple’s 147,000-person workforce likely even knew it existed. But the fact that well over a thousand employees participated in a grassroots survey that wasn’t sanctioned by Apple executives is significant. It hints at a shift in Apple’s famously hierarchical culture.

Apple’s current hybrid plan will go into effect in September and will require employees to work in-person on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, but will be able to work from home on Wednesdays and Fridays. While this plan is more flexible than Apple has been in the past toward remote work, some employees clearly want more, but Apple does not appear to be poised to back down.

Read more:

  • Apple says in-person work is ‘essential’ and will not go back from its hybrid work plan
  • Comment: Apple employees are right to question Tim Cook’s hybrid return-to-work strategy
  • Tim Cook announces hybrid work plan for Apple employees, three days per week in-person
  • Apple employees call for more flexible remote work policy in letter to Tim Cook