Apple to shift to 3-day work weeks from September

Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook wants some of the company's employees to resume office in September for at least three days a week.

The iPhone maker's employees have been working remotely for the past year to check the spread of COVID-19. Apple has asked its staff to come to the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at a minimum, with remote work still an alternative for Wednesdays and Fridays, The Verge quoted Cook as saying in an internal memo.

Also Read: Apple employees likely to work from home till June 2021, says CEO Tim Cook

The employees have the option to work remotely for up to two weeks a year, "to be closer to family and loved ones, find a change of scenery, manage unexpected travel, or a different reason all your own."

However, teams that are required to work in-person will resume office for five days a week.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 cases have been on a downward spiral in the US, which is one of the reasons why Cook might want his staff to return to the office.

"For all that we've been able to achieve while many of us have been separated, the truth is that there has been something essential missing from this past year: each other. Video conference calling has narrowed the distance between us, to be sure, but there are things it simply cannot replicate," the Apple CEO stated in the memo.

Cook also encouraged all of the company's employees to get vaccinated.

Also Read: 20% of workers at Google to work from home, 60% to be hybrid

"For now, let me simply say that I look forward to seeing your faces," he said in closing.

"I know I'm not alone in missing the hum of activity, the energy, creativity, and collaboration of our in-person meetings, and the sense of community we've all built," Cook added.

Tech giants comprising Amazon, Facebook, and Google, among others, have allowed their employees to work from home (WFH) at least till June 2021.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had stated the company wants some of its employees to work remotely on a permanent basis at some point.

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