Apple Giving Retail Workers Experiencing Coronavirus Symptoms Unlimited Sick Leave

[MacRumors]

Along with allowing corporate employees to work from home for the next week, Apple has also told its hourly and retail employees that it is providing unlimited sick leave to those experiencing coronavirus symptoms.

Apple's hourly employees, which includes retail staff, are not required to submit a doctor's note if time off is required, according to details obtained by 9to5Mac. Apple's new policy will make it easier for employees who have COVID-19 symptoms to take necessary time off of work.

Apple has not closed any of its retail stores located in the United States at this time, but as we reported earlier today, Today at Apple sessions have been canceled in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area, which are two areas with the most coronavirus cases in the U.S.

Apple is also tweaking some of its stores to cut down on the number of chairs at the Genius bar and the number of seating cubes in the Forum, which will provide more physical space between customers. Device cleanings are also being done more regularly to limit the spread of germs.

Apple over the weekend sent out a memo suggesting corporate employees in the United States, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the UK work from home for the next week. Many other tech companies have recommended similar measures for their employees in an effort to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further.

Article Link: Apple Giving Retail Workers Experiencing Coronavirus Symptoms Unlimited Sick Leave

 

[4jasontv]

Unless it is paid time off they are fostering an environment where people put others at risk because they can’t afford to take time off. Apple might give them sick leave but their landlord won’t. Nor will their student loan repayments or utilities.

 

[now i see it]

Exactly as above^

It has to be paid time off otherwise sick employees will still return to work to get paid - to be able to make rent and expenses - especially hourly workers that don't make much money. Most people live pay check to pay check and a two week loss of pay can wipe them out.
It was a problem at the last company I worked for every winter - still clearly sick employees returning to work because they had used up their PTO and HAD to earn a paycheck

 

[Will Tisdale 🎗]

Wow. That’s so charitable of them.

 

[djgamble]

Apple has also told its hourly and retail employees that it is providing unlimited sick leave to those experiencing coronavirus symptoms.

Sweet!!!

So basically if I have a lingering post-viral cough or am feeling a little bit tired, I can be off for 6 months?

 

[citysnaps]

Unless it is paid time off they are fostering an environment where people put others at risk because they can’t afford to take time off. Apple might give them sick leave but their landlord won’t. Nor will their student loan repayments or utilities.

Relax. Apple's sick leave is paid.

 

[kaltsasa]

Sweet!!!

So basically if I have a lingering post-viral cough or am feeling a little bit tired, I can be off for 6 months?

What an incredibly wrong take.

 

[citysnaps]

Exactly as above^

It has to be paid time off otherwise sick employees will still return to work to get paid - to be able to make rent and expenses - especially hourly workers that don't make much money. Most people live pay check to pay check and a two week loss of pay can wipe them out.
It was a problem at the last company I worked for every winter - still clearly sick employees returning to work because they had used up their PTO and HAD to earn a paycheck

See above, Post# 6.
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Sweet!!!

So basically if I have a lingering post-viral cough or am feeling a little bit tired, I can be off for 6 months?

Why is cheating the system Sweet!!! ?

 

[Doctor Q]

It may turn out that Apple needs fewer retail store workers to be on the job, because there are fewer consumers out shopping in affected cities.

 

[tychay]

It may turn out that Apple needs fewer retail store workers to be on the job, because there are fewer consumers out shopping in affected cities.

This is possibly true but it still will hurt net income as this leave will be paid by them, even more so because overall income will decline because of reduced sales.

Still, it is the right thing to do, since any other policy endangers their employees as well as their customers.

My guess is Apple is hoping this leads other businesses to do the same as well as engenders them some good PR. As a business that had stores and personnel on the front lines of the worst of the Virus so far in Wuhan, China, they have some idea of where this is likely to go in other parts of the world. I hope it works.

 

[miniyou64]

Apple should have been cleaning those nasty, greasy, in-store devices this frequently all along

 

[dannyyankou]

This only really matters in states that have paid sick leave. In states that don't employees will not be paid for their time off.

 

[Will Tisdale 🎗]

This is possibly true but it still will hurt net income [snip]

Who cares?

 

[dannyyankou]

Relax. Apple's sick leave is paid.

Isn't that only in states where it's law?

 

[PabloSRT8]

Every time i go to an apple store, stinks! anyone else experienced that smell? Is like sweat mixed with urine if i had to guess lol But good for apple doing that, Im sure is only for the salary people and not the hourly. but if it is the hourly people, kudos for Apple.

 

[2010lexus]

Sweet!!!

So basically if I have a lingering post-viral cough or am feeling a little bit tired, I can be off for 6 months?

Yes I guess you can. But thats the problems with people nowadays they think like you.Always trying to get a free ride in life. A company tries to help employees then someone with your kind of thinking has to take advantage of the situation.

 

[jchap]

I've said this before, but in addition to reducing the number of chairs per table to open up space between customers, Apple needs to reduce the number of waiting customers in confined spaces, period. The situation is awful here in many Apple Stores in Japan, including one I've frequented in Nagoya. On weekends, it's standing-room only, where people mill around just waiting to get any kind of seat while they wait for their turn with a "Genius." In addition to being uncomfortable, I can't imagine that this forced close proximity between customers is doing anyone any good, when it comes to communicable airborne viruses.

 

[m4mario]

Unless it is paid time off they are fostering an environment where people put others at risk because they can’t afford to take time off. Apple might give them sick leave but their landlord won’t. Nor will their student loan repayments or utilities.

Why did you assume it is not paid?

 

[4jasontv]

Why did you assume it is not paid?

Because it doesn’t say ‘paid sick leave’.
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Relax. Apple's sick leave is paid.

Than why not say it’s paid. If you’re going to issue a statement that you are doing the right thing than make it clear that these people are being take care of. Their standing policy requires employees ‘prove’ they were sick by getting a note from a doctor. That doesn’t smell like they typically pay people when they miss work.

Image what would happen if people could file disability if they got sick at work. After all, the policy requires you to be sick before you can get the day off.

 

[thadoggfather]

its never been a worse time to be a retail employee

 

[citysnaps]

Because it doesn’t say ‘paid sick leave’.
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Than why not say it’s paid. If you’re going to issue a statement that you are doing the right thing than make it clear that these people are being take care of. Their standing policy requires employees ‘prove’ they were sick by getting a note from a doctor. That doesn’t smell like they typically pay people when they miss work.

Image what would happen if people could file disability if they got sick at work. After all, the policy requires you to be sick before you can get the day off.

That’s a question for MR editors. Apple’s sick leave is paid.

Again, relax.

 

[abhibeckert]

Than why not say it’s paid. If you’re going to issue a statement that you are doing the right thing than make it clear that these people are being take care of.

Apple has not issued any statements.

It's probably a leaked internal memo to store managers who've been told to pass it on to their employees. It's not a PR move and the exact policy surely varies from city to city as this kind of stuff is heavily regulated and they all have different laws.

As to people saying you could take six months off, the policy only covers people with COVID-19 symptoms — so if you want more than a couple weeks leave you're going to have to justify it somehow.

 

[cmaier]

Apple has not issued any statements.

It's probably a leaked internal memo to store managers who've been told to pass it on to their employees. It's not a PR move and the exact policy may be different for every city.

As to people saying you could take six months off, the policy only covers people with COVID-19 symptoms, which typically clears up after two weeks. If you want more than a couple weeks leave you're going to have to justify it somehow.

Symptoms show up within two weeks. They may last much longer.

 

[abhibeckert]

Symptoms show up within two weeks. They may last much longer.

There seem to be two common pathways. If it gets into your lungs you will not be able to breathe properly and require hospital treatment. Sick leave will be the last thing on your mind as a very high percentage of these people have died even with the best treatment available.

For most people it doesn't enter the lungs and clears up in about two weeks often much less.

 

[cmaier]

There seem to be two common pathways. If it gets into your lungs you will not be able to breath properly and will require hospital treatment. Sick leave is the last thing on your mind at that point.

For most people it doesn't enter the lungs and clears up in about two weeks often much less.

Yep