Apple delays office return to its employees until January due to COVID surge

The company told staff it would notify the re-opening time slot at least one month before employees are required to join the office.

Apple Inc. is putting off its return to corporate offices from October until January on an immediate effect because of the sudden surge of COVID-19 and its new mutant waves, as per a memo sent to employees on Thursday.

The company told staff it would notify the re-opening time slot at least one month before employees are required to join the office. Apple had earlier decided to get all the staff to start returning to their corporate spaces by early September before the delay till October.

Earlier on Thursday, Apple closed a retail store situated in South Carolina after witnessing more than 20 employees testing positive for or exposed to the deadly Covid-19.

When employees are required to return to work in the office, they will be expected to maintain a working slot of at least three days a week that is Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays with the addition of remote work on Wednesday and Friday specifically.

The memo issued for the staff,  forwarded by the human resources and retail head Deirdre O’Brien at Apple, added that “The company does not currently expect to shutter its offices or retail stores. But she simultaneously strongly encouraged staff to get vaccinated. The company is yet to require vaccinations or testing, though it is upping its testing program to as many as three at-home Covid tests per week. ”

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