Following worker complaints, Apple will increase benefits for retail employees

Apple is increasing its time off benefits for full- and part-time retail employees, according to a new Bloomberg report and information separately shared by a source to The Verge.

The company will introduce the following new benefits starting April 4th, Bloomberg reports:

Doubling paid sick days for both full-time and part-time workers. The days can be used for mental health leave and taking family members to the doctor. This change will give full-time workers 12 paid sick days, instead of six.

Workers will receive more annual vacation days, beginning at three years of employment instead of five.

Part-time employees will now get as many as six paid vacation days for the first time. Another first: They’ll get paid parental leave. That benefit will cover up to six weeks and will include the ability to gradually ramp up work time for the first four weeks back.

Part-time workers also will get access to discounted emergency backup care for children or elderly family members.

Apple confirmed the changes to Bloomberg and noted that they had been in the works for several months.

The new benefits arrive following The Verge’s extensive December report about how Apple’s frontline workers, including those on its retail, support, and sales teams, are struggling to survive and that their complaints about working conditions have been largely ignored. Apple’s retail employees have also had to struggle with store closures and shifting policies about mask-wearing due to COVID-19. In January, the company announced internally that both corporate and retail staffers would have to get a COVID-19 booster shot or show a negative COVID-19 test before entering the workplace.