Apple Delays Plans for Return to Office Three Days a Week, Masks Required in Common Areas Amid Rising COVID Cases

Tuesday May 17, 2022 9:17 am PDT by Juli Clover

Amid rising COVID cases across the United States, Apple will not increase the number of days that its corporate employees are required to be in the office, reports Bloomberg.

apple park sunset
Apple planned to have employees return to the office three days a week on May 23, but that target date is now being delayed. Right now, Apple employees are required to be in the office twice per week, and Apple plans to stick to that schedule for the foreseeable future.

Employees who are in the office will be required to wear masks in common areas to limit the spread of the virus.

Corporate Apple employees in the United States began returning to in person work on Monday, April 11. Apple started with a one day per week in-office requirement, and on May 2, started requiring employees to be in the office two days per week.

There is no word on when Apple plans to shift to the three day per week schedule, but when that happens, employees will be required to be in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with most able to work remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays.

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Tag: Apple Park

Top Rated Comments

levitynyc

18 months ago

Just give it up. The days of everyone being in the office multiple times a week are over. You made a bad investment in commercial real estate. Deal with it.

Not just apple, companies everywhere. Maybe build more homes and residential buildings instead of large pointless offices.

I work in tech. I've gotten a dozen interview offers in the last 3 months. Not a single company is requiring being in an office at all.

Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Marbles1

2 days a week is more than enough to schedule meetings and workshops.

Apple's 'Monday, Tuesday and Thursday' routine seems to be designed to force people to live nearby. If it has to be 3 days at least make it e.g. Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.

Honestly it's as if firms want to impose misery on workers.

Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)

julesme

The market will sort this out...and by that I mean, the top tech talent will likely go where there is flexibility that rewards their talent and productive output.

Companies like AirBNB appear to have it right, at least for now (work from anywhere, no pay cut).

Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)

mikethemartian

Why the need for the centralized policy? Why don’t they let the group leaders decide who needs to come in and when.

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Unity451

One's personal feelings about COVID aside... The apple culture is built (and has always functioned) on human collaboration hence the building of the spaceship Apple Park with the common areas in the middle and throughout. Virtual interaction is not the same as face-to-face. If employees don't return to the in-person office, the company culture will suffer irreversible damage, and by extension, the products will get worse and worse.

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

ghostface147

This should be an interesting comment section. Personally, be responsible for your own health. If you want to wear a mask, go for it. If you don’t, you do you. Follow the guidelines of your particular company.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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