Apple Encouraging Employees in Silicon Valley to Work From Home Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
As the coronavirus continues to spread in Santa Clara County where many of Apple's corporate offices are located, Apple is now encouraging employees in the area to work from home today if they are able to, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple has asked employees to do so as an "additional precaution," and working from home is a recommendation rather than a requirement as some employees may have jobs that require being in the office.
Yesterday, Santa Clara County asked tech companies in cities like Cupertino, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and San Jose to "consider use of telecommuting options for appropriate employees."
There are 20 known cases of coronavirus in Santa Clara County, and several other suspected cases. Cupertino, which is where Apple Park and Infinite Loop are located, is a part of the county.
Employers have also been asked to suspend nonessential employee travel, which Apple has already done, and cancel large in-person meetings and conferences. It is still unclear what Apple plans to do about WWDC, which normally takes place in June in San Jose.
For the last few years, Apple has announced WWDC dates in mid-March, so we could soon hear news on whether WWDC will take place or if Apple will substitute some kind of digital event.
Though corporate employees are able to work from home if possible, Apple's retail store locations in the Bay Area remain open. Apple has, however, implemented "deep cleaning" protocols to keep retail workers and customers safe from the virus.
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