Apple is reportedly delaying its plan for employees to return to the office three days a week. The return-to-work policy was originally scheduled to go into effect May 23, but has been pushed back due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, according to a report Tuesday from Bloomberg. The company also reportedly said masks are once again required in common areas.
It’s not the first time Apple has delayed the return-to-office plans. A proposed three-day in-office schedule was revealed to employees last June and slated to begin later in 2021. It was eventually delayed to January, then February, then again with a target date set for May. And now, less than a week before the return-to-office plan was to go into effect, it has been delayed once again. A new timeframe for commencing a three-day workweek hasn’t been made public.
The delay is the latest example of the struggle many companies have faced in regard to returning to work, but the news is likely welcome to at least some Apple employees. Back when the three-day workweek plan was first announced, a group of Apple employees opposed, openly stating their grievances in a letter to leadership and criticizing the “one-size-fits-all” policy. The tech giant has since seen further employee pushback and requests for more flexibility, but has remained committed to the potential value of in-person workplace interactions.
Many Apple employees have been and are still expected to be in office two days a week
Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
