Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said Wednesday employees should begin returning to offices in early September for at least three days a week.
The iPhone maker is pushing staff to return on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at a minimum, with remote work still an option for Wednesdays and Fridays, Cook said in a memo obtained by Bloomberg News.
“We are setting consistent days in the office to help us optimize our time for in-person collaboration,” he wrote. Some teams will have to be in four or five days week.
In pushing for staff to return, Cook cited the availability of vaccinations and declining coronavirus infection rates. Some employees of the Cupertino, California-based technology giant have worked from Apple offices on certain days throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Thousands of others have been away for more than a year.
Cook said “many” Apple teams in the Asia and Pacific regions have already returned to offices and factories, and that the remaining closed retail stores will reopen this month. He previously told staff they might return as early as June, but the company pushed that back to September a few weeks ago.
Employees, with manager approval, will be offered an additional two weeks of remote work per year.
In his letter, Cook called the return to offices a “pilot” effort that will be reevaluated in 2022. The Verge reported on Apple’s plans earlier Wednesday.
“As the world’s most innovative company, I believe we have a special obligation to get this right,” Cook said. “I am very excited about the opportunity that we have to come together in new ways and chart a new path in the era ahead.”
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU