this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2024
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Apple

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Seems like something that WFH would solve without having to upend so many employee lives.

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[–] Ghostalmedia 185 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (6 children)

A decade ago, a lot of folks would probably seriously consider this. Austin is a rad town and cost of living is cheaper than San Diego. Now moving to Texas could put you at significant risk if you’re a woman.

Apple, a company that likes to value diversity and inclusion, is apparently fine with putting its female employees in harm’s way for a tax break.

Of all the shit Apple has done, this is particularly disturbing.

Edit: Took a few more minutes to look into this, and it appears that Apple covers travel and medical expenses for women that have to travel out of state for care. Although, forcing someone into that position to keep their job is pretty douchey.

[–] [email protected] 67 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Austin isn't even that much cheaper and property tax in TX is heinous compared to CA.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 10 months ago (9 children)

Not cheaper at all, actually. They only discuss income tax when folks claim that.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (5 children)

all the tech companies should move to another smaller city in a blue state all at once. turn Salem OR or something into the next big tech hub

[–] surewhynotlem 9 points 10 months ago

Welcome to Raleigh!

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

austin is crazy expensive now. it was already starting to get that way when i lived there ~ 25 years ago.

and i'd pick the san diego climate any day over anywhere in texas.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

You think it's expensive now, but wait till everyone with all that California tech money rolls in and starts buying everything sight-unseen. And in cash.

[–] PuceDogs 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The average tax burden in Texas is actually higher than California. People see “no income tax!” and lose all ability to reason

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Wouldn't be the first time conservative voters misunderstand taxes

[–] NotMyOldRedditName 37 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Even covering expenses still puts women's lives at risk.

Sure if you get pregnant and early on decide you want one, they can help out, AFTER you divulge very private information.

But what about all the myriad of other scenarios where people need medical abortions in life threatening situations. You don't always have the time to get yourself to another state, and then you die, or lose the ability to get pregnant again.

Sure its nice they offer it, but fuck them for putting women in that situation anyway. They don't get a pass for covering costs when they can.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

With a 2% chance of an ectopic pregnancy, it's a little like Russian Roulette if you're of childbearing age, isn't it?

[–] [email protected] 21 points 10 months ago

value diversity and inclusion

Bullshit.

They don't give a shit.

It's something of importance to their target demographic, so they play into it.

[–] mriguy 7 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Edit: Took a few more minutes to look into this, and it appears that Apple covers travel and medical expenses for women that have to travel out of state for care. Although, forcing someone into that position to keep their job is pretty douchey.

And when the Texas government arrests them to keep them from traveling for an abortion, Apple will break them out of jail?

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

Sorry, values diversity and inclusion?

Yeah, if you include the slave labour that was literally chained inside their factories in China?

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[–] dinckelman 84 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Are they expecting for people to just pack their shit up, and go? We have to stop letting these companies pretend that all the workers are just meat puppets

[–] [email protected] 85 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Honestly, probably not. They probably want them to quit. This is a cost cutting measure that they don't want to admit to publicly.

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[–] DigitalTraveler42 66 points 10 months ago

This is what a stealth layoff looks like folks.

[–] [email protected] 55 points 10 months ago

This is becoming a larger and larger ask as the states drift further apart in terms of rights.

[–] hperrin 38 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Don’t move, don’t quit. Make them fire you.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago

make them fire you? Start a fucking union and make management's life hell.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 10 months ago (9 children)

No one from California wants to move to Texas.

[–] PrettyLights 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Its slowing down recently but in 2021 and 2022 it was a very popular topic and many people did move from CA to TX.

https://blog.smu.edu/dedmancollege/2022/09/12/why-are-californians-moving-to-texas-and-how-that-might-change-the-state/

[–] Fades 15 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

And guess what happened in 23? A LOT of those people came RIGHT back to California lol

Perfect example: https://www.businessinsider.com/couple-moved-california-texas-back-santa-cruz-rosenberg-2023-11?op=1

Looking at census data: https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/california-exodus-census-analysis-18509264.php

California was one of 11 states whose inmigration rate was lower than the national migration average of 19.9%. The data says that many of the people (44,279) who moved to California last year came from Texas. The second-highest number of people (31,225) who moved from a different state to California came from New York.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

Well, lots of people move to Texas from all kinds of states. You could make an article about each one if you tried. Also, people are moving to California from Texas—and everywhere else. You could write an article about each of those places if you tried.

My point is, people who bleed blue don’t move to Texas unless they have to. And, with recent politics, Texas is a much harder pill to swallow for anyone left of center.

I’m sure the lefties in California would love to get rid of the righties. Maybe they could make a 1:1 trade, lefties for righties.

[–] Ghostalmedia 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

The Central Valley disagrees.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Sorry, coastal California ;)

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago

You know, where the people live

[–] mean_bean279 9 points 10 months ago

San Diego is one of the biggest major cities with a Republican Majority and it’s in Cali. Now considering these are tech workers they may care, but I’ve worked with my fair share of tech libertarians. Especially here in Cali.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

They probably wouldn’t like Austin though.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago

Ffs tech workers need to unionize and fast.

[–] FabledAepitaph 26 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Apple supports anti-abortion misogyny, the murder of immigrants crossing the border, and a deterioration of employee rights for profit. This is the safest conclusion.

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[–] mriguy 23 points 10 months ago

“Asks”? So they can just say “no thank you” and keep their jobs?

No?

Then asks is not the right word.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 10 months ago (2 children)

If they're using this as a method to get employees to quit, then it's gonna suck for the few that do move

[–] wreckedcarzz 21 points 10 months ago

Well duh, now they'll have to live in Texas.

[–] sevan 11 points 10 months ago

Its only temporary, those employees will be eliminated later under more lax labor laws.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago

I'm just shocked to learn that Siri has (had) a quality control team.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Apple likes the labor laws in Texas that allows them to screw their employees over when they feel like it

[–] MsPenguinette 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The company reportedly told employees they can apply for other jobs within the company, though some doubt they’re qualified for other Apple roles in the city, and most don’t plan to move.

Sounds like it's QA people. Which sucks extra hard cause that's a much harder field to get another job in. If they were software engineers, the world would be their oysters. I bet a lot of people will make the move and it's quite shitty and cynical from apple to move a team that doesn't have a lot of options.

If they tried to move an engineering team to texas, they know they'd get told to get fucked

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (8 children)

If they were software engineers, the world would be their oysters.

Not with all the layoffs lately.
https://layoffs.fyi

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (5 children)

And so begins (continues?) the enshittification of Apple. Siri is dumb as a bag of rocks. These people should all get raises.

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