Apple’s back to office plans: Read CEO Tim Cook’s email to employees – Times of India

Cupertino-based tech giant Apple is set to call employees back to the office under a new hybrid work plan. According to a report by The Information, Apple CEO Tim Cook in an email to all employees said that the new hybrid work model will come into effect from February 2022. Earlier this year, Apple had said that employees will have to be back in the office in September. However, Apple deferred that plan to January 2022 as the number of coronavirus cases shot up in the US.
Now, Cook has said that the plan will be put in place in many locations across the world and will require employees to come for one or two days a week initially. “As of today, we are targeting February 1, 2022, to begin our hybrid work pilot in many global locations where teams have not yet returned to our corporate offices. We plan to start the pilot with a phased approach, welcoming people back to the office for one or two days a week for an initial period of four weeks,” said Cook in the email.
Cook also urged employees to get fully vaccinated if they have the Covid-19 vaccine available. Cook also said that Apple will make adjustments depending on local conditions. “We recognise the situation with the pandemic is dynamic and are prepared to adjust our timing, approach, and protocols—such as masking, distancing, vaccination requirements, and other measures—as necessary based on local conditions,” said the Apple CEO in his email.
Here’s Cook’s email in full:

Team,

It’s hard to believe we’re already in the home stretch of 2021. As I reflect on this extraordinary year, I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve. Together, we have launched some of Apple’s best products ever. We are making important strides in our efforts to protect the environment and build a more equitable world. And we are touching the lives of countless people, providing them with the tools to connect, create, learn, and grow.

Most remarkably, we have achieved all of this with many of our teams working remotely as we’ve navigated the uncertainty of the pandemic. This experience has taught us a great deal about flexible work, while also reminding us of the irreplaceable value of in-person collaboration. We are eager to carry these lessons forward, and with that in mind, I want to share our current plans for returning to the office in the months ahead. Know that, as we’ve done all along, we are monitoring local conditions closely and are prepared to make necessary adjustments to our planning.

As of today, we are targeting February 1, 2022 to begin our hybrid work pilot in many global locations where teams have not yet returned to our corporate offices. We plan to start the pilot with a phased approach, welcoming people back to the office for one or two days a week for an initial period of four weeks. After this transitional period, we will begin the pilot in full, with eligible teams in the office three days a week, on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and with flexibility to work remotely on Wednesday and Friday. You’ll receive more details about how the first four-week phase will roll out as we get closer to the return date.

As I noted when we announced our hybrid work pilot, we do have a number of teams whose work requires a greater need to work in-person, and they will come into the office four or five days a week based on the plans for these specific teams. Those plans will depend on your role and may differ according to your location. If you have any questions about your schedule, please talk to your manager.

I am so looking forward to more of our teams being back together again. Our Retail store teams have been welcoming customers and offering the personal care and service they have come to expect from us. Some of our teams internationally have also returned to their offices and are benefiting from the ability to see one another and collaborate face to face. And nearly half of our Silicon Valley employees have been coming into the office at some point each week. Based on those experiences, we are confident in our protocols and our ability to ensure a thriving environment for everyone.

At the same time, we are committed to giving you more flexibility as we move forward. In addition to the option of working remotely twice a week on Wednesday and Friday, we announced this summer that team members would be able to work remotely for up to two weeks per year with a manager’s approval. I’m pleased to share that we’re increasing the amount of time you can work remotely to a total of four weeks per year. This provides more opportunity to travel, be closer to your loved ones, or simply shake up your routines.

As we prepare to begin this new pilot, I want to reiterate that we remain focused, first and foremost, on the health and well-being of our teams and your families. We know that vaccination is the most important step we can take for our own health and the health of our communities, and is the best way to prevent the severity and spread of the virus. We will continue to closely review government guidance and requirements around vaccination. In the meantime, we strongly encourage everyone who is able to get the vaccine to do so if it’s available to you.

We recognize the situation with the pandemic is dynamic and are prepared to adjust our timing, approach, and protocols—such as masking, distancing, vaccination requirements, and other measures—as necessary based on local conditions.

We look forward to this next phase of our journey, and to adjusting as we learn. We’ve all adapted so much since early 2020 and we are deeply committed to a more flexible environment.

As we head into the holiday season, I have been reflecting on my gratitude for each and every one of you. Thank you all for your passion, your perseverance, and your phenomenal work this year and always. I can’t wait to see you soon.

Tim