Skip to main content

Apple employees to return to offices later than expected

Apple is going to begin bringing all of its employees back to it offices in April via a hybrid in-office/remote work schedule. When the company initially announced that it wanted to introduce the hybrid work environment, it projected that its employees would once again be back at their desks on February 1, 2022. As February came and went without an update from the company in that regard, it seemed questionable if Apple employees would ever be getting back to their work lives as they were once known.

Tim Cook, Apple CEO, confirmed that the offices would indeed be reopening in April in a companywide email shared with The Verge. Starting on April 11, the company will begin phasing in its hybrid schedule where employees will come into the offices starting with just one day a week and ramping up from there. Cook expects all staff to be coming in three days a week by May 23 while allowing those who want to come in more frequently options to do so.

The email addresses concerns regarding the wearing of facial coverings in the offices. It also says that “most, if not all of Apple’s U.S. sites will revert to being mask-optional over the next few weeks,” citing the decline in COVID-19 cases as reasoning for this move. Cook says that Apple will be continuously monitoring the pandemic environment and make changes if need be, but remains optimistic for the company’s future of in-person work.

Cook says that Apple is “looking forward to learning as we go and adjusting where we need to.” It’s a statement that is all well and good, but still a little worrying for those who are high-risk COVID-19 individuals. While the email reassures workers that Apple is committed to “support and flexibility,” it doesn’t mention those who are still unable to take the risks associated with going back into offices and meeting with co-workers in person.

You can read the full email as it was shared with The Verge.

Editors' Recommendations

Peter Hunt Szpytek
A podcast host and journalist, Peter covers mobile news with Digital Trends and gaming news, reviews, and guides for sites…
Apple GPT is real and may be coming sooner than you think
Siri on an iPhone.

Apple has been conspicuously absent in generative AI news, while OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Meta are making headlines with their advances daily. However, the iPhone maker hasn't given up, and a privacy-focused Apple AI is undergoing internal testing.

According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is working on a chatbot and has already been testing it internally. Reporter Mark Gurman's sources claim that Apple's AI plans are expected to be revealed in a major announcement in 2024. Apple engineers are said to refer to the AI as "Apple GPT" internally, suggesting it could use a generative pretrained transformer (GPT) somewhat similar to OpenAI's model.

Read more
The M3 MacBook Pro may launch sooner than anyone expected
Fortnite running on a Macbook M1.

Earlier this week, we learned that Apple’s next batch of Macs loaded with M3 chips could be set to launch in the fall. Today, a fresh report claims they could arrive ahead of schedule -- but there are reasons to be doubtful.

The idea comes from a paywalled DigiTimes report (via MacRumors), which cites “industry sources” to claim that Apple will introduce a new MacBook Pro -- complete with a 3-nanometer Apple silicon chip that will boast improved performance and efficiency -- as soon as the third quarter of 2023. That quarter runs from July 1 until September 30.

Read more
The Apple Watch Ultra’s Action button should be better than this
Apple Watch Ultra being worn showing off the Action Button.

When Apple announced the Apple Watch Ultra last September, I was excited about it. It wasn’t something that I needed at the time, but I loved that it’s pretty much the first big change for the Apple Watch product as a whole since the Apple Watch Series 5. The design of the Ultra is completely different from the Apple Watch Series 8, and — of course — it has the Action button.

Oh, the Action button. Aside from the Digital Crown and side button, the Apple Watch Ultra has a unique Action button, accented in a bright orange, that lets you quickly launch an action — such as starting a workout, opening the Workouts app, using the Apple Watch Ultra as a flashlight, launching a shortcut, and more. People love the Action button, plenty of them have given it praise, and I thought it was one of the cooler features of the Apple Watch Ultra.

Read more