Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
As we continue to trudge forward through the COVID-19 pandemic, there are understandably a lot of major companies out there that would like to bring things back to a semblance of normalcy. Efforts have been made towards launching events and getting back to work on-site with mixed results. Apple, one of the earlier companies to allow its employees to start working remotely amid the pandemic was among those which were looking to return to on-site work soon. However, the continuously complicated situation has forced the company to postpone employee returns to on-site work until at least January 2022.
Apple’s delay of its on-site work return mandate was announced in a company memo on August 19, 2021, as reported by Bloomberg. Originally, Apple’s plans were for employees to return to work in October 2021, which is just over a month away at the time of writing. However, the resurgence in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States pushed Apple to rethink these plans, delaying the possibility to January of next year. New communications will reportedly be sent out to employees around a month before on-site work is confirmed to begin again.
Apple’s action makes sense. The company was among the first major tech companies in 2020 to allow its employees to begin working remotely as the COVID-19 pandemic became more prevalent and dangerous. It has also made donations to aid in COVID-19 prevention and curbed its expectation in earnings to account for the pandemic as production and sales have been effected by the illness. The company isn’t perfect, but it has gone through continuous steps to ensure employee safety. This can be seen in contrast to Facebook, where even as direct employee return has been delayed to 2022 as well, contractors have already been forced to report to on-site work.
The path out of harm’s way from COVID-19 still seems foggy to say the least. That said, it also seems that for Apple employees, the company is prepared to let them continue to work remotely until that fog clears. Stay tuned for more updates as the situation continues.