Apple Delays Return to Office for Employees Until At Least January

Apple has delayed its plan to return employees back to the office until at least January, due to concerns over an increase in COVID-19 cases and the possible emergence of new variants, Bloomberg reports.

appleparkempty
Apple had previously planned to return to in-person work by early September, but the company delayed that timeline until October. Now, due to continued concerns, that timeframe has been further pushed back until at least January.

In a memo sent to staff, obtained by Bloomberg, the company's human resource and retail chief, Deirdre O’Brien, said that Apple is not planning to close its offices or retail stores that are currently open, but is encouraging employees to get vaccinated. Unlike other companies, Apple has yet to enforce a requirement for employees to be vaccinated.

The company told staff it would confirm the re-opening timeline one month before employees are required to return to the office. Apple had previously aimed to require all staff to return to corporate offices by early September before delaying that until October. When employees are required to return, they will be expected to work at the office at least three days a week -- Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays -- with remote work on Wednesday and Friday available.

The memo to staff, sent by human resources and retail head Deirdre O'Brien, added that the company does not currently expect to shutter its offices or retail stores. But she strongly encouraged staff to get vaccinated. The company is yet to require vaccinations or testing, though it is upping its testing program to as many as three at-home coronavirus tests per week. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the memo.

Apple's plans to return to the office have received criticism from Apple employees, who claim that the company is being insensitive to staff members who may prefer working remotely. When employees return, Apple plans to have employees in the office at least three days a week, with the remaining days working remotely.

Top Rated Comments

Akrapovic Avatar
30 months ago

What about the retail employees? How come they're still obligated to work inside the stores??
Unsure if you're serious or not. It's basic operational requirements. A shop cannot operate without staff. However, office staff can work effectively from home.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ElCidRo Avatar
30 months ago

First, it was September... then October, and now January. Can’t even work 3 days a week inside the office. Pathetic!

It cost Apple $5 billion dollars for Apple to build the (Spaceship) HQ and now it’s just sitting there with no employees working inside the building.

What about the retail employees? How come they're still obligated to work inside the stores??
You do know there is a pandemic raging outside in the real world right?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
30 months ago

You do know there is a pandemic raging outside in the real world right?
People are also refusing to get vaccinated. That alone is not helping this world :(

I have a feeling Apple will end up forcing the employees to get vaccinated to come to work.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
starman111 Avatar
30 months ago

Let’s hear it for the unvaccinated kids trailing a blaze in this brave new world. Pretty odd we expect my 7 yr old to mask it up and tough it out. But not vaccinated corp employees.
Personally, I don't think kids should be toughing it out either. Let's keep schools closed until kids can get vaccinated.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kstotlani Avatar
30 months ago
Good for the employees.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Seanm87 Avatar
30 months ago
Just get vaccinated and get on with it ffs. In the UK we’re at almost 90% vax and everything is back to normal.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
ios 17 namedrop

Police Departments and News Sites Spreading Misinformation About How iOS 17 NameDrop Feature Works

Monday November 27, 2023 5:11 pm PST by
Apple with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature that is designed to allow users to place Apple devices near one another to quickly exchange contact information. Sharing contact information is done with explicit user permission, but some news organizations and police departments have been spreading misinformation about how functions. As noted by The Washington Post,...
iOS 17

26 New Things Your iPhone Can Do With Next Month's iOS 17.2 Update

Wednesday November 22, 2023 10:57 pm PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen two more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 26 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released in December. 1. Help You...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
Cyber Monday Deals Feature 2022

40+ Apple Cyber Week Deals for AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 26, 2023 9:47 am PST by
Cyber Week has taken the place of Black Friday, and you'll find some of the same deals still around for the next few days, although many from Black Friday have now expired. This includes dozens of record low prices on Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iPhone, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
General Black Friday Deals 2022 Green

40+ Apple Black Friday Deals Still Available for AirPods, iPhone, iPad and More

Friday November 24, 2023 5:01 am PST by
Black Friday 2023 has officially ended, but we're still tracking some of the best deals of the year on Apple products like AirPods, iPad, iPhone, MacBook, and many more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically, in this article we're...