Apple cutting hours for part-time retail workers?
Apple may be cutting the hours of part-time workers in its retail stores, such as this one in downtown San Francisco.
(Credit: Apple)Apple may be planning to shuffle its retail staffing plans in advance of what is expected to be a rough couple of months for the economy.
AppleInsider reports that the company's retail arm, which added 8,000 workers during the last year, is taking a few steps to reduce costs without laying off any employees.
According to the report, Apple is telling its part-time workers that they will be getting fewer hours for the foreseeable future, while full-time workers are going to be asked to do more.
Apple's retail operation uses a fair amount of part-time "Specialists" as greeters standing by the front door of its stores, directing customers to the appropriate parts of the store and answering basic questions. It seems that more and more of that role will be assigned to the fabled "Geniuses," who will have to get out from behind the service desk and walk the store floor more often, according to the report.
Nearly half of all Apple employees now work in the company's retail segment, which is probably the area of its business most exposed to a volatile economy. Apple has 32,000 full-time employees, 15,900 of whom work in retail.
The company has 3,100 part-time employees or contractors, but it's not clear how many of those people work in the retail segment. A call to Apple seeking comment on its plans for its part-time employees was not immediately returned.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
Don't be such a hater, man! Dang!
An unapologetic Apple® enthusiast. = ^ )
As for Apple- I thought it was cheaper to hire part time help rather than to give out overtime. If what I read here is true, then the Geniuses will be spending more time as door greeters (aka Walmart) than their primary task. It's a curious shift in Apple's practices. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.
I feel sorry for those part time workers who are losing their jobs though. It's happening all over.
Too bad their Macs aren`t edible.
I think we assume Apple is immune to a recession. They aren't.
Jypeterson, Apple does venture into lay off mode, though mostly of their PT employees.
Also, why does it matter? It's a business and they are in the business of making money.
"Better positioned to weather it than most other retailers" is more like it. No debt, $25bn in the bank, 2x (or so) the growth of its competitors, even now... can't help but think they're holding up pretty well, considering.
Apple retail hires people as "Part-Time Sales", even if you are applying for another position.
I know this because I applied a few months ago and the process was so painful, I left because I didn't originally want to do sales, I wanted to do repair.
So, as I was told, the only way to the repair (position title = "Genius") is to start as part-time sales and if you are able to make the sales quota for a few consecutive months, then your request will be considered.
I have nothing against Apple, but they seriously need to restructure their retail division - it's just downright flawed.
Ex-Apple employee.
- by Ipopngraphics December 15, 2008 12:09 PM PST
- It's a dog-eat-dog world... and we're all wearing milkbone underwear right now... I just took a 40% pay cut to keep my job... but I will still be buying my new MacPro in January. If I am going to buy a new computer, I at least want one that's worth the money. Parts aside... the simple fact of the matter is parts are parts are parts, it is the "genius" who puts them together in the best way possible who makes the better product.
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