Apple delays Employees return to In-Person amid rise in COVID-19 cases

Apple will delay the return of its employees to office by at least a month to October at the earliest, as COVID-19 cases surge back in the United States and abroad, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.The tech giant will inform its employees at least a month before their expected return to offices, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

While some companies have embraced the move, Apple has so far attempted to take a hybrid approach.  In June, the company asked employees to return to offices for at least three days a week from early September, veering from the stance of other big technology firms that were permitting full remote work. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook had originally planned a summer return, arguing that in-person collaboration is essential to the company’s culture and future.

After over a year of remote work, many employees at not only Apple but many other companies have expressed interest in continuing their remote work arrangements, seeking increased flexibility and in some cases an escape from high housing prices near many corporate headquarters in Silicon Valley and beyond. Many big tech companies, including Twitter and Salesforce.com, have opted for hybrid or permanent remote-work models.

So while Apple may have delayed its plans to return to at least some in-person work for most employees, it remains to be seen how things will shake out over the long term.

—
Photo Credit: TungCheung / Shutterstock.com