employees

Apple's brick-and-mortar workers are getting a special perk, a new report claims.

During a recent meeting discussing Apple's plans for the fourth quarter, the company announced that it will roll out a new perk for retail employees, called "App Discovery," 9to5 Mac is reporting today, citing unidentified sources with knowledge of the company's program.

Once they have access to App Discovery, employees will be able to download a host of popular paid applications for free to their iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Although it might be viewed as a perk, 9to5Mac points out that the … Read more

Zynga has been in a downward spiral the past several months. It's been hit from all sides, from plummeting share prices to Anonymous cyberattacks to a mass exodus of its top employees.

Despite CEO Mark Pincus' public positive attitude and go-getter mentality about the future of the gaming company, an article by the Wall Street Journal today reports that he may be less enthusiastic behind the scenes. According to interviews with dozens of current and former Zynga employees and investors, Pincus is apparently grappling with how to save the company.

During a September meeting between Pincus and business coach … Read more

Amazon will pay for employee job training, even if it means its employees will work somewhere else as a result.

The company launched a new employee incentive program that's sure to attract out-of-work Americans who want vocational training to boost their careers.

Amazon will pay 95 percent of tuition and fees at accredited schools for courses that lead to technical and vocational certifications or associate's degrees in fields like aircraft mechanics, computer-aided design, machine tool technologies, medical lab technologies, and nursing. Only full-time hourly associates in the U.S. who have been employed for three consecutive years are … Read more

Those of you who work for Apple can now enjoy a $500 discount off the purchase of a Mac and $250 off an iPad.

The new employee discounts kicked off yesterday, says 9to5Mac, and make good on a promise made by CEO Tim Cook back in January.

As usual, there's both good and bad news. The new benefits are on top of the normal 25 percent discount that Apple employees receive. But Mac minis and the new Retina MacBook Pro model are both excluded from the $500 cut in price. Other conditions apply, as detailed by Electronista.

Employees can … Read more

Rob Schmitz, the public radio journalist who exposed Apple commentator Mike Daisey's fabrications regarding working conditions at a Chinese electronics factory, has become only the second Western journalist to be granted access to Foxconn's factory floor.

The reports from the longtime China correspondent for American Public Media's Marketplace are scheduled to begin airing tomorrow on public radio stations. Schmitz has also written about his visit on his reporter's notebook blog, notes Fortune.

In his one-man play, "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs," Daisey claimed to have witnessed dangerous working conditions suffered by … Read more

Apple employees will enjoy some healthy products discounts as thanks for the company's recent blockbuster quarter.

At an internal meeting yesterday, CEO Tim Cook announced that employees will soon be able to grab a $500 discount on the purchase of a new Mac and a $250 discount on a new iPad, revealed 9to5Mac.

Not scheduled to launch until June, the new discount program is saddled with a few restrictions. Apple workers must have been with the company for at least 90 days and can only take advantage of the discounts once every three years. The program seems to cover … Read more

As Yahoo's board and executive team consider a growing number of acquisition bids, the company's employees are considering other opportunities, a new report claims.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal in a story published today, several unnamed Yahoo employees say that morale is on the decline at the company, causing many folks to think seriously about going elsewhere.

"If you're not growing, if you're not giving people challenging things to work on, if you're not holding out the promise of creating some personal wealth during one of the frothiest technology markets in modern history, … Read more

Zynga has been hit hard lately by reports that say it has been tough on employees. But according to a new story, employees might be preparing to strike back.

Every quarter, Zynga holds a staff survey to find out how employees feel about the company. Last month, the company's CEO Mark Pincus got more than he bargained for from employees after many of them complained of tough working conditions, according to The New York Times yesterday. At least one of the people who responded to the company survey said that as soon as Zynga goes public and they can … Read more

Amazon is selling many smartphones for just a penny through Cyber Monday, Microsoft uses bacon to entice potential employees to its Kinect for Windows group, and Facebook may be working on a smartphone with HTC codenamed Buffy after the TV show.

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded: