Apple has informed its corporate employees that it will delay most employees' return to the office for three days a week, amid a surge in Covid-19 in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the company is based.
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Apple's pandemic response team cited Covid-19 conditions as the reason for the delay in the return plan, which was scheduled to go into effect next week. The team said the update applies to employees in the Santa Clara Valley, where Apple is headquartered.
“We will make changes to other locations as needed,” the message. “We continue to closely monitor local data and are committed to providing at least two weeks’ notice of any changes.”
The move is the latest example of how big tech companies, which were among the first to turn to remote work in the early days of the pandemic, have faced challenges in bringing their employees back on a regular basis to their packed campuses, which they spent billions to build .
Apple's hybrid return-to-work plan has been a source of tension among some employees since it was first announced last summer. After delays due to a surge in Covid-19 cases in the fall and winter, Apple began requiring most employees to be in the office at least once a week in April, before increasing that number to twice a week later this month.
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In anticipation of the final phase of the pilot program, which will bring employees into the office on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, a group of employees organizing under a newly formed group known as Apple Togetherhave publicly asked leadership for more flexibility.
“We are not asking for everyone to be forced to work from home,” the team wrote. “We are asking for us to decide for ourselves, together with our teams and our direct manager, what kind of work arrangement works best for each of us, whether in an office, working from home, or a hybrid approach.”
The report has been signed by 1,445 current and former Apple employees to date.
For now, employees will continue to work in the office two days a week, with some additional safety protocols. Apple said in a message to employees that it is temporarily asking people to wear masks when in common areas of the office, such as meeting rooms, hallways and elevators.
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Apple also told employees that if they "feel uncomfortable coming into the office during this time, you have the option to work remotely. Discuss your plans with your manager."
