Apparently, Apple is paying six-figure "special retention grants" to a handful of hardware and software engineers.

The bonuses are worth between $100,000 and more than $200,000 in restricted stock units that vest over several years, providing another incentive for engineers to stay.

The bonuses show the level of insecurity that some of the top-paying companies in the industry feel in this tight market for tech talent. Apple and other tech giants are throwing more and more money at employees to retain them.

Bloomberg points out Apple "has suffered some attrition in its chip design group," as Facebook's parent Meta Platforms "has stepped up recruiting of engineers — aiming to put them to work on the so-called metaverse," and the payouts also went to Apple employees working on virtual and augmented reality headsets.

Jobs Mob is also preparing for a return to the office and is getting some kickback from employees who no longer want to sit through dull middle management meetings.

By May, the company will require engineers and other corporate staff to work out of the office at least three days a week.

The Tame Apple Press promises that if the engineers stay the shares will only increase in value. One figure quoted Apple’s share price going up 40 per cent in the last year. We assume this figure was taken when Apple share’s peaked in January.