Amid rising Covid-19 cases, Apple has pushed the return-to-office date indefinitely for corporate staff in the United States as reported by Bloomberg News and NBC News reporter Zoe Schiffer. A memo from Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that employees will be notified a month before a new return date is set, & will receive $1000 to tailor their work-from-home office.
Apple previously planned to return to offices for most employees on Feb 1. Apple joins the long list of companies which includes its Silicon Valley neighbor- Google; Lyft, Uber, and Amazon to pushed back their return to office dates. The move comes amid growing concerns about the rising number of Covid cases and the public health impact of the latest omicron variant.
Apple first implemented work from home in March 2020 since the Covid-19 outbreak in the U.S., although now, some office workers have returned and most stores are open for business. Despite the pandemic, the company continued to introduce new products and saw increased sales.
An Apple spokesperson was quoted saying that the company has prioritized the health and well-being of customers and employees since the initial days of the pandemic. Earlier this week, Apple shut down three stores in response to rising Covid cases. Customers shopping in any Apple store will have to wear masks regardless the of the local mandate.
Retail employees have had routine access to weekly at-home tests.
