Apple sets April 11 return-to-office deadline for US corporate employees

Apple told corporate employees in the U.S. to return to the office at least once a week starting April 11, joining tech companies such as Google in rolling out the new policy after a back-and-forth that began in June and ended in December.

Employees will be expected to work from the office two days a week by May 2 and three days by May 23, according to an internal memo from CEO Tim Cook obtained by Bloomberg. Previous return efforts were thwarted by Omicron surges.

“I want you to know that we are deeply committed to giving you the support and flexibility that you need in this next phase — a commitment that begins with this gradual introduction of our hybrid pilot and includes the option to work remotely for up to four weeks a year,” Cook wrote in the memo.

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Apple is the first large tech company to recall all its corporate employees nationwide, indicating just how much it values its physical workplaces. It joins Google, which is bringing workers in the Bay Area and several other U.S. locations back to offices starting the week of April 4 and is requiring them to work there three days a week. Twitter is reopening all its offices on March 15, although employees will still be allowed to work remotely indefinitely.

Companies nationwide are ramping up return-to-office plans as Covid cases drop and federal and local health authorities loosen restrictions. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, American Express and Wells Fargo are among those planning broader office reopenings this month, according to the Wall Street Journal. Many are letting certain teams and managers decide when and how often workers can come back to offices to reduce the risk of alienating those who’ve come to appreciate working from home, the newspaper said.

[Bloomberg] — Matthew Niksa