Apple tells employees to go back to the office

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Apple has asked its employees to return to the office three days a week starting in early September. Tim Cook, the company's chief executive, sent an email on Wednesday to inform employees of the change.

He said, despite all that we have been able to achieve while many of us have separated, the truth is that there was something fundamental missing from the past year. The video conference calls have narrowed the distance between us. But there are things that cannot be repeated.

Cook said most employees are required to come to the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. With the option to work remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays. Teams that need to work in-person return four to five days a week.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to work remotely for up to two weeks a year. In order to be closer to family and loved ones, or a change of scenery, an unexpected journey occurs, or for various personal reasons. Managers need to approve remote work requests.

Apple opposes remote work

This change was expected for Apple employees. And while employees worked remotely during the covid-19 pandemic, the company was notoriously discouraged from working from home before 2020. In December, Tim Cook told employees that they might be asked to return to the office as early as June. And Apple's stance on remote work remains conservative compared to other tech giants.

In May, Google announced that 20 percent of its workforce would be able to work from home permanently. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, pointed out that remote work is the future. Zuckerberg told Facebook employees that they can all work from home forever, as long as they get their manager's approval.

In the letter, Cook also encouraged all employees to receive the vaccination. Let me say, for now, I look forward to seeing your faces. I know I'm not alone in missing out on the vibrancy, energy, creativity, collaboration in our personal meetings, and the sense of community we all built.

Apple will likely require its employees to return to its branches and offices around the world, where it has always placed a strong emphasis on the importance of personal collaboration. In March, the company's CEO said he could not wait for employees to return to work, explaining that the company was implementing a hybrid return environment.