Apple Employees Asked to Return to Offices for Three Days a Week Starting in September

Apple corporate employees will be returning to the office for three days a week starting in early September, Apple CEO Tim Cook told workers today in a memo that was seen by The Verge.

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"For all that we've been able to achieve while many of us have been separated, the truth is that there has been something essential missing from this past year: each other," Cook said in the memo. "Video conference calling has narrowed the distance between us, to be sure, but there are things it simply cannot replicate."

Most employees will be asked to return to their offices on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with the option of working remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays. Teams that require in-person work will return to the office for four to five days a week.

Employees will also be able to work entirely remotely for up to two weeks every year, but the remote work requests will need to be approved by managers.

Cook wrapped up the memo by saying that he's looking forward to seeing employee faces. "I know I'm not alone in missing the hum of activity, the energy, creativity and collaboration of our in-person meetings and the sense of community we've all built," he wrote.

Apple employees are likely expecting to be required to return to Apple campuses and offices around the world, as Apple has always heavily focused on the importance of in-person collaboration. Back in March, Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ said that he couldn't wait for employees to return to work, and he said that Apple would implement a "hybrid environment" for the return.

Top Rated Comments

megastuff999 Avatar
26 months ago
I’m surprised at many of the responses here. In the U.K. many sectors now see a good remote policy as table stakes for attracting talent.
If you are in a job where you aren’t micro-managed and left to be productive on your own terms why would it matter where you are? Let people work where suits them best. They will either produce quality work or not.
I’m preferring working from home: better equipment, greater comfort, easier to concentrate and I think for some jobs collaboration face to face is overvalued. I’m a developer. I can deal with code commits and zoom calls whether sat in an office or at home office. The face to face stuff is vanishingly rare.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sirozha Avatar
26 months ago
They spent billions on that new campus in Cupertino and didn't really get to use it before the pandemic struck. Letting engineers work from home is not an option for Apple. However, it's pretty stupid that people will be dragged to the office in the Silicon Valley traffic three times per week simply to justify the existence of that office space. Selling it is not an option either. Who in their right mind in the Silicon Valley would want to buy a multi-billion dollar office space, whereas everyone has learned that working from home is much more productive?
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
munpip214 Avatar
26 months ago
Now that we’ve been home so long they need to start adding incentives to go back, like paying for gas/transit plus time commuting.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mkenne2586 Avatar
26 months ago

Now that we’ve been home so long they need to start adding incentives to go back, like paying for gas/transit plus time commuting.
I don’t know how to tell you this but….your salary already includes money for commuting...and it was your choice where you wanted to live back when you needed to go to the office.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
no_idea Avatar
26 months ago
It’s funny how ppl claim they are much more productive working from home…keep telling yourself that after you attend your one 30 minute meeting in the morning and then binge watch Netflix all day and occasionally tap your keyboard for “presence”
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brendu Avatar
26 months ago

Now that we’ve been home so long they need to start adding incentives to go back, like paying for gas/transit plus time commuting.
Here’s your incentive. You want a job? Go to work. Seems like a good incentive.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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