Ever since the pandemic hit last year, Apple employees have been working from their homes. Only those employees can go to the office who require access to a specific tool or work on a top-secret project. With the pandemic now relatively under control in the US and things going back to normal, Apple is looking to open its offices at least partially in September.

In a memo, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has asked employees to return to the office for three days a week starting early September. Employees are being asked to come to the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and they have the option of working remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays. Any team that needs to work in-person can return to the office four to five days a week.

After Apple imposed work from home restrictions last year, a report detailed that many Apple employees were struggling to work due to the company’s tight rules around secrecy.

Apple is also allowing its employees to work remotely for up to two weeks per year so that they can be “closer to family and loved ones, find a change of scenery, manage unexpected travel, or a different reason all your own.” Tim Cook also encouraged all Apple employees to get vaccinated for their own and everyone’s safety.

Tim Cook ended the memo by saying he looks forward to seeing his employees once again. “For now, let me simply say that I look forward to seeing your faces. 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,” he said.

Our Take

Apple’s stance on remote work is not as relaxed as other companies. Twitter is permanently allowing its employees to work from home if they wish to. Similarly, Google and Microsoft are also giving their employees the option to work from home for an extended period of time. In comparison, Apple’s option of eventually allowing its employees to work from home for just two weeks per year does not sound too much.