Apple CEO Tim Cook has today offered employees at most of its global offices the ability to work from home, and announced new policies in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
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Image via David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Employees at several global offices have been told to "feel free to work remotely if your job allows,” for the week of March 9 to 13, according to an internal memo that was obtained by Bloomberg and later confirmed by an Apple spokesman.
This extends the company’s policy from Friday, which encouraged employees in California and Seattle to work remotely, to almost all of Apple's corporate locations in South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the U.K.
In addition to this, Apple is now implementing new efforts to expand deep cleaning procedures and maximize interpersonal space. Fewer places will be available at Today at Apple sessions and the Genius Bar to reduce human density in Apple stores.
On the corporate side, Apple is rolling out managerial changes to prevent the spread of coronavirus for employees who still have to come in due to the demands of their work.
In line with other major tech companies, Apple has guaranteed that it will continue to pay hourly contract workers their normal wages globally.
Apple has been significantly impacted by the coronavirus given its global presence and supply chain based in China, resulting in major stock price fluctuation. There have been reports of iPhone shortages and analysts predict that the upcoming 5G iPhone may now be delayed.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)By being able to work from home I can take a more relaxed breakfast as I don't have to get dressed up and commute and also start to work earlier which means I can stop working earlier too, leaving me with more free time to spend on my hobbies which leads to less stress.
Working from home all the time is not good for mental health though as you do need to get out and talk to people from time to time. But it's important to have the option. Apple is offering what should be a standard way to work in an office environment.
Presumably they will extend it as facts on the ground dictate.Just for the week? That’s nice, but they should maybe do it for the remainder of the month considering infections are only increasing.
It’s too bad that people go to work despite being sick because they don’t have sick hours available and have to make money. Oh the world we live in.
It’s too bad that people go to work despite being sick because they don’t have sick hours available and have to make money. Oh the world we live in.
Not to mention environmental benefit, all the traffic and omissions you save by people not having to daily commute. As well as less oil dependency from other countries.
Skype your business meetings.
This is Apple, not whatever company you are talking about. They are not a government entity either, so not sure why you raise that.Not in the vast majority of corporate and government jobs. Your supervisor/manager decides.
In any event, in each of the four Silicon Valley companies I’ve worked at, the “it’s ok to work at home if need be” policy has always been based on the employee determining whether he or she can get his or her work done. After all, if so, why force them to come in?
sorry you are employed at a less rationally-run business.