Apple employees will return to offices February 1st in a hybrid work pilot

Apple employees will return to offices starting February 1st as part of a hybrid work pilot and will be able to work remotely for four weeks a year. First reported by The Information, employees learned of the news Thursday via an internal memo from CEO Tim Cook. The company had previously offered two weeks of remote work per year but added two more weeks to give “more opportunity to travel, be closer to your loved ones, or simply shake up your routines,” Cook’s memo said.

The pilot will start workers at one or two days in the office, then in March, workers will come to the office to work on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. They’ll be able to work from home on Wednesdays and Fridays. Some employees may be asked to come into the office four or five days a week if their roles require more time in the office.

Cook first announced the hybrid work model in June, when the company was planning a September return to offices that was moved back to October, then January, and now, to February. Some Apple employees pushed back strongly against the hybrid model, writing in an internal letter to Cook that they wanted a more flexible policy that allowed anyone who wanted to work from home to do so.

Apple didn’t immediately reply to a request from The Verge for more details on the company’s office return. Following widespread closures of Apple stores during the height of the pandemic in 2020, the company reopened its retail stores earlier this year, with mask requirements in place.