What you need to know
- Tim Cook has addressed Apple employees at a company-wide meeting.
- He spoke about diversity, privacy, pay equity, and more.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has spoken to employees about pay, diversity, equity, privacy, and more at a company-wide meeting Friday.
As noted by The Verge's Zoë Schiffer on Twitter:
Here's what we're hearing from the Apple all hands this morning 🧵:Here's what we're hearing from the Apple all hands this morning 🧵:— Zoë Schiffer // on leave until May. Send tips! (@ZoeSchiffer) September 17, 2021September 17, 2021
Cook reportedly told employees that 50% of new leadership hires at Apple this year were women, but said that there was more work to do. On Apple's App tracking transparency in iOS 14 he said that it was "pretty simple but very profound". The move has drawn ire from companies like Facebook who rely on heavy tracking to serve users with personalized ads.
Cook also spoke about how the company had donated $100 million to relief during the pandemic and other causes, before addressing the company's return to the office and remote working policy.
"I know this is on some peoples' minds but not everyone's because about half our employees are back at a store or office already. For everyone else, we're still hopeful that we'll be able to be back in the office sometime in January."
Cook also said that Apple needed to learn what it was like when about half the company came into work because it only knew what it was like when either everyone was in or "hardly anyone" comes in, and that it was committed to learning and tweaking the system. The company also said it plans to give all employees an extra three days off next quarter.
Cook and Deirdre O'Brien took questions about pay equity, O'Brien stating that when Apple found gaps in pay the company closed them, and that employees should ask their manager if they had questions.
Cook also addressed the Apple vs Epic Games lawsuit and the ruling in favor of the company, saying he hoped the verdict would put some App Store discussions to bed.
