Apple Employees Expected to Return to Offices in February

Apple employees are expected to begin returning to corporate offices starting on February 1, according to a memo Apple CEO Tim Cook sent out to staff today.

apple park drone june 2018 2
The memo, obtained by The Information, says that employees will return under the hybrid work pilot that was announced earlier this year. Starting in February, employees will work at Apple's campuses and offces for one to two days each week.

Then in March, workers will be expected to be in the office Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, working from home on Wednesday and Friday. Teams that have a "greater need to work in-person" will not be able to be part of the hybrid work experience.

Apple also plans to allow employees to work remotely for up to one month per year, an increase from the prior two weeks that the company announced earlier in the year. "This provides more opportunity to travel, be closer to your loved ones, or simply shake up your routines," Cook told employees in the letter.

After working from home for more than a year, some Apple employees are not pleased that Apple is requiring them to return to the office, as the company has been able to release a number of new products with its remote work schedule.

Apple executives have always made it clear that employees are expected to return. "Video conference calling has narrowed the distance between us, to be sure, but there are things it simply cannot replicate," Cook said back in June.

Apple has pushed back the deadline for when employees must return to work several times as COVID cases have continued to soar, and in August, the company said that employees would be able to stay home until at least January.

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
31 months ago

Apple builds literal spaceship and now workers want to stay home forever?
Not forever; just until they can do one more thing…



Attachment Image
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LavenderCaptain Avatar
31 months ago
Demonstrably after almost 2 years, forcing people back to offices like this is not necessary. I'm seeing it in my workplace too - we're losing staff to recruiters who sell "100% remote" as a benefit... A ping-pong table in the office with a depersonalized workspace isn't enough anymore - what are we asking people to come back to?
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CalMin Avatar
31 months ago
This is the big workplace challenge of our time. Many folks (myself included) have found a way to work from home that increases our productivity and our quality of life. I do work longer hours from home which is a negative, but then I don't have to spend time on commuting, dry cleaning, lunches, vehicle maintenance etc.

For most knowledge workers, being the office is a relic of the Industrial Age. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out. Not just for Apple, but for all knowledge work.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
guzhogi Avatar
31 months ago

This is the big workplace challenge of our time. Many folks (myself included) have found a way to work from home that increases our productivity and our quality of life. I do work longer hours from home which is a negative, but then I don't have to spend time on commuting, dry cleaning, lunches, vehicle maintenance etc.

For most knowledge workers, being the office is a relic of the Industrial Age. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out. Not just for Apple, but for all knowledge work.
I agree, working from home can increase productivity. I've heard complaints about the spaceship being too open, and filled with distractions. Sure, the openness helps with collaboration, but it also hinders focus. For stuff like coding, I prefer working from home, or at least a personal, private office area.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thomas_peters666 Avatar
31 months ago
> Does that means we'll be getting better, more stable, and less buggy OS updates* starting in February?

Not if Apple loses its development team to more progressive companies that don't make people schlep for two hours across the bay area each day.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zaft Avatar
31 months ago
Apple builds literal spaceship and now workers want to stay home forever?
Score: 16 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. ...
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...
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...