According to an internal memo obtained by The Verge, Apple is removing its mask requirements for corporate employees in “most places.”
Apple’s COVID-19 response team on Monday told corporate employees that the company is updating current protocols “in light of the current circumstances” and urged employees to continue wearing a face mask if they feel more comfortable doing so.
Apple also noted in the email that “everyone’s personal circumstances are different” and reminded corporate employees to respect each individual’s decision to wear a mask or not.
Apple is changing its operating policies during the pandemic to adhere to local regulations and reduce risk to employees and customers in areas where COVID is on the rise.
For example, Apple in March eased its mask requirements for its retail employees in the United States due to a drop in Covid-19 cases and the easing of local mandates.
The latest move, however, comes amid a new wave of infections in California that were first identified in the Bay Area, due to the highly contagious Omicron BA.5 subvariant.
Previously, masks were still required in “public places”, but not at desks. Now the requirement has dropped completely. It doesn’t seem like the best time for that, though. See the big drop in cases between February and March? This was the last time Apple waived the requirement. pic.twitter.com/MfcaumfNq2 — Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 2, 2022
Apple still maintains a hybrid home/office work policy for corporate employees in the United States. Staff began returning to their offices on April 11 for one day a week, ending a two-year work-from-home policy that Apple has implemented during the pandemic.
Apple originally planned to have staff in the office for three days from the week to May 23, but the company reversed the decision after the spike in infections and the two-day requirement was imposed on May 4.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion on this topic, the discussion thread is located in our political news forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Related stories
Apple is reinstating the mask mandate for employees at approximately 100 US retail stores
Apple retail employees at about 100 stores will have to go back to wearing a mask while on the job, according to Bloomberg’s Mark German. Apple is once again mandating masks for its employees due to the rising number of COVID cases in the United States. Currently, customers visiting Apple Stores are not required to wear a mask, but Apple continues to recommend masks for all Apple Store…
Apple Dropping Mask Obligations for Commercial and Corporate Employees
Apple plans to lift its mask-wearing requirements for retail and corporate employees in the United States due to a drop in Covid-19 cases and the easing of local mandates, Bloomberg reports. For vaccinated corporate employees, masks are no longer mandatory in regions where local mandates for indoor masks have ended. Sales staff in a small number of locations have also been informed that the masks will…
Apple stores are removing the mask requirement for customers in many US states
Apple will no longer require customers to wear a mask to enter many of its US stores, Bloomberg reports. Mandatory masks will disappear in several stores from Friday due to positive trends in vaccinations and declining cases of COVID-19. More than 100 stores will lift the mask mandate from Friday, with the policy then expanding to additional stores based on…
Apple ends mask mandates in many stores, plans to reintroduce in-person classes
Apple is no longer requiring customers to wear masks when visiting Apple Stores in many locations across the United States, Bloomberg reports. Apple dropped mask mandates following changes in local guidelines and a drop in COVID-19 cases. Employees have been informed of the mask updates, and Apple has also updated its website to provide details on which locations are no longer…
Apple is again requiring masks at all US retail stores
Apple’s retail stores are implementing stricter measures against COVID, once again requiring customers to wear masks at all locations in the United States and implementing social distancing rules in some locations that were lifted earlier this year. In November, Apple reduced its masking requirements for customers in many US states due to positive trends in vaccinations and declining numbers of COVID-19…
Apple corporate employees are returning to offices on a hybrid schedule starting today
Apple corporate employees in the United States began returning to their offices today, ending a two-year work-from-home policy that Apple has implemented during the pandemic. Employees at places like Apple Park and the Infinite Loop were given an April 11 deadline last month to return to in-person work. Apple couldn’t wait to get its employees back to the office and scheduled dates to return…
Apple tightens COVID prevention rules for developers attending Apple Park WWDC viewing event
Developers invited to attend the WWDC viewing event on June 6 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California will have to adhere to the stricter COVID prevention rules that Apple recently implemented. In emails sent today, Apple informed developers that they will be required to wear N95 masks while indoors, and that a negative FDA-approved COVID antigen test is required on the day…
Popular stories
Top stories: iOS 16 Beta 4, ‘Apple Watch Pro’ rumors and more
We’re probably about six weeks away from the reveal of the iPhone 14 lineup, and Apple continues to refine the iOS 16 update that will be released alongside the new hardware, so we’re seeing a number of tweaks as it goes through the beta testing period. This week also saw some rumors about the rugged “Apple Watch Pro” slated for release later this year, as well as some of the…
The iPhone 14 still boasts performance improvements, although it remains with the A15 chip
The standard iPhone 14 models will still have better performance than the iPhone 13 despite containing the same A15 Bionic chip, according to a leak from ShrimpApplePro. In March, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that only the iPhone 14 Pro models will feature the A16 chip, with the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max models equipped with the A15 chip like the iPhone 13. In April… .
VMware Fusion Tech Preview brings Windows 11 to Apple Silicon Macs
VMware announced this week that the latest VMware Fusion update brings Windows 11 support to both Intel and Apple silicon Macs. Available as a free technical preview, version 2H22 of Fusion will finally allow Apple silicon Mac users to download and use Windows on their machines via virtualization. Features include Windows 11 support with 2D GFX and networking, VMtools installation for…
Apple’s online store is currently down in some countries [Updated]
Apple’s online store is currently down in some countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and more. The stay is not global, with the store still operating in some other countries. “We’re making updates to the Apple Store,” the store page says, as usual when there’s downtime. Apple advises customers to “check again…
Apple expands Apple TV gift card offer to more countries
Apple has expanded the previously exclusive US Apple TV gift card offer to more countries around the world, offering customers a gift card with the purchase of an Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD. The original offer was launched for US customers last month, giving buyers a $50 gift card with an Apple TV purchase. Following the suspension of the Apple Store in several countries, Apple…
Everything new in iOS 16 Beta 4 for lock screen, iMessage, CarPlay and more
Apple today released the fourth beta of iOS 16 to developers for testing. The latest beta contains several new features and changes, including the Messages app, the Home app, the Mail app, lock screen notifications, CarPlay, and more. Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube iOS 16 is currently in beta for developers and members of Apple’s free public beta testing program, and the software update will be…
Apple has launched the second public beta versions of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16
Apple today released the second beta versions of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 to public beta testers, opening the iOS 16 beta testing process to the general public. Today’s beta comes just over two weeks after the first public beta and corresponds to the fourth developer beta. Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s free beta testing program can download the second iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 …
Add Comment