Apple Struggles to Fix iPhone, MobileMe Problems

Apple's Biggest Problems

Apple has a serious problem with some of their Retail Store Managers lacking leadership ability. They are provided a set of written Apple policies (which they cannot interpret) and spend too much time documenting points against their part-time and permanent employees. Although Apple offers sick leave and annual leave as a benefit to their permanent employees, Store Managers and Assistant Store Managers follow a NO-VAULT absentee system of simply writing employees up for being out of work for any reason. In other words, despite the benefit of sick and annual leave for permanent employees, if an employee arrives late for work due to any emergency, unavoidable or not, such as a traffic accident or their car breaks down, they are sick or undergoing doctor's care, their wife is having a baby, or a family member dies, POINTS are documented in the employee's personnel file. If an employee happens to become sick or have any emergency which requires them to be late for work or absent for any reason at all and they acquire more than 3 points (1 point equals 1 absence) in any one quarter, they are given A Final Warning Letter and placed on probation for 1 year. During the following 12 month period if they become sick, or want to take annual leave due to a death in the family, or because their car breaks down and they have to be towed to the garage for repairs, they can be terminated immediately. How many people can go an entire year without being sick or having any emergency? Apple does spend a significant amount of money training their employees who are in APPLE GENIUS positions. They handle the Genius Bar in the Retail Stores and are the greatest asset Apple has in providing customer support and satisfaction with all Apple products. Since APPLECARE seems to be subcontracted out to India there is little else to keep U.S. Apple customers coming back to buy new Apple products. Without highly educated and highly trained technicians to keep Apple customers happy, Apple Retail Sales would surely drop drastically. Apple must do something to either change this unfair labor practice of documenting POINTS for legitimate absences, or properly train their managers to make wise decisions before writing up their highly trained employees, who are APPLE's most valuable asset. Although, I am somewhat taken back by the appearance of Apple's sales staff, technicians, and managers with regard to their personal appearances and the dress code, I can appreciate the "casual" approach that Apple has taken to allow employees a more relaxed atmosphere in which to work. WHY NOT take a more relaxed approach to this PETTY POINT SYSTEM which causes APPLE to lose valuable pernament employees. OR, TRAIN APPLE managers to be leaders, not simply TIMEKEEPERS! APPLE does offer employess the right of appeal, however, they cover bad management decisions with the statement "APPLE POLICY WAS FOLLOWED". Meanwhile, employees must come to work SICK! How about Steve Jobs??

J. Edgar of VA @ Mar 04, 2009 03:37:28 AM