Apple Delays Plan to Have Staff in Office Three Days a Week
(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. delayed a plan to require workers to come back to the office three days a week, citing a resurgence in Covid-19 cases, marking the latest setback in its efforts to return to normal.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Stocks Rise on Biden Tariff Comments; Dollar Drops: Markets Wrap
A $5 Trillion ‘Wealth Shock’ Is Cracking Americans’ Nest Eggs
The company informed employees Tuesday that it’s delaying the requirement, which had been slated to go into effect on May 23, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg. However, the company is still expecting workers to come to the office two days per week. The company said the requirement is being delayed for “the time being” and didn’t provide a new date.
Apple was set to require employees to work from the office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning next week -- a policy that had been controversial among some staff. Already, employees have been coming in two days a week as part of a ramp-up effort that began in April. For now, that mandate isn’t changing.
The company also told staff that they must again wear masks in common areas -- at least in Silicon Valley offices. Separately, retail employees were informed Tuesday that about 100 US stores will again require mask wearing by staff members as well. Apple had dropped that requirement in March when cases eased.
A spokesman for the Cupertino, California-based tech giant declined to comment.
While the delay is related to Covid-19’s recent rebound, some Apple employees have complained about the return-to-work plan, saying that it limits productivity. They’ve said that commute time takes away hours that could be put toward their work. Employees have also complained that the office return ignored the lack of a vaccine for young children.
(Updates with Apple retail stores reinstating mask mandate in fourth paragraph.)
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
Compensation Is Becoming an Even Bigger Headache in the Remote-Work Era
The Math Prodigy Whose Hack Upended DeFi Won’t Give Back His Millions
Used Cars Become an Expensive Problem for Online Dealers Like Carvana
A $60 Billion Crypto Collapse Reveals a New Kind of Bank Run
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.