Apple Implementing COVID-19 Prevention Measures as Employees Return to Work

As employees begin returning to work at Apple's Apple Park and Infinite Loop campuses, Apple is implementing COVID-19 prevention measures that include testing, social distancing, and temperature checks, reports Bloomberg.

appleparkempty
Some employees, such as hardware and software engineers, began returning to ‌Apple Park‌ in May. Some of the people who are working at the campus are doing so for just a few days a week, with Apple limiting the number of people allowed in closed spaces, such as elevators.

Employees who return to the campus are being provided with an option to take a coronavirus nasal-swab test, while temperature checks are mandatory. Apple has closed many of its break room kitchens, and is asking employees to wear masks through posted signs.

‌Apple Park‌ features large open work spaces where employees worked in close proximity, but Bloomberg says that Apple is going to need to make changes to bring the rest of its workforce back to the campus. For now, some employees are continuing to work from home.

Apple's head of retail and people Deirdre O'Brien told employees in May that the return to Apple's campuses worldwide would be done in phases over the course of a few months. The first phase, in which some employees are returning, is in progress now.

A second phase in July will see more employees return to work, though Apple has said that its plans are fluid and may change based on local and state stay-at-home orders.

Apple has also begun reopening its Apple retail locations worldwide, and in the United States, more than 100 stores are open. Many of these locations are limited to device pickups and repairs.

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
50 months ago

As employees begin returning to work at Apple's Apple Park and Infinite Loop campuses, Apple is implementing COVID-19 prevention measures that include testing, social distancing, and temperature checks, reports Bloomberg ('https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-04/apple-offering-covid-19-testing-to-staff-returning-to-offices').
I really don't know how socially distant you can get at Apple Park…

Unless—



Attachment Image
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Erehy Dobon Avatar
50 months ago
Apple isn't forcing anything. They are following guidelines set by the County of Santa Clara (SCC) Public Health Officer, specifically as it pertains to essential business operations in offices.

But don't listen to me, go knock yourself out on the original SCC document:

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/covid19/Pages/public-health-orders.aspx#businesses

which actually uses Google and Apple as examples. Just use Command-F and search for "goog" or "apple" in your web browser.

This is an amended document from the May 22 order which started letting more people back into their offices.

Apple is not doing anything special that Google, Cisco, Intel, AMD, HP, Adobe, NVidia, etc. aren't doing. If Facebook is doing something different (which I doubt), that's because they are headquartered in San Mateo County, just adjacent to the north of Santa Clara County.

It's worth pointing out that the senior management of all of these large corporations have been in repeated close and ongoing consultation with the County of Santa Clara COVID-19 response team.

SCC Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody did not randomly list a bunch of bullet points for fun-and-games nor did Tim Cook just randomly say, "Hey, let's start sending people back to the campus."

Apple is not the first company on this planet to let people start returning to the office. There is now ample precedence in many other jurisdictions around the planet about these phased returns.

It is also very worth pointing out that Santa Clara County actually led the entire nation in their shelter-in-place policy and is one of the slowest counties to lift restrictions within the state. SCC is not blindly walking into unchartered territory, not while Dr. Cody is at the helm.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
50 months ago
So Apple is doing what every other company is doing. Must suck for Mark Gurman. Now that he’s not getting any juicy rumors anymore he’s reduced to publishing banal stuff like this.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
50 months ago
So much for the "open office" layout that has been all the rage - getting rid of cubicles so that everyone is within eyeshot (aka call center layout).
The future might require a total rethinking (and remodeling) of office layouts with cubicles returning but with hermetically sealed walls all the way up to the ceiling.
Oh well.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Williesleg Avatar
50 months ago
They should all work from home.
Why is apple forcing this?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
glowplug Avatar
50 months ago
Who could have guessed this would be the final nail in the coffin of open floorplans.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...