Tim Cook Offers Work From Home to Most Apple Staff Amid Coronavirus Concerns

[MacRumors]

Apple CEO Tim Cook has today offered employees at most of its global offices the ability to work from home, and announced new policies in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

Employees at several global offices have been told to "feel free to work remotely if your job allows,” for the week of March 9 to 13, according to an internal memo that was obtained by Bloomberg and later confirmed by an Apple spokesman.

This extends the company’s policy from Friday, which encouraged employees in California and Seattle to work remotely, to almost all of Apple's corporate locations in South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the U.K.

In addition to this, Apple is now implementing new efforts to expand deep cleaning procedures and maximize interpersonal space. Fewer places will be available at Today at Apple sessions and the Genius Bar to reduce human density in Apple stores.

On the corporate side, Apple is rolling out managerial changes to prevent the spread of coronavirus for employees who still have to come in due to the demands of their work.

In line with other major tech companies, Apple has guaranteed that it will continue to pay hourly contract workers their normal wages globally.

Apple has been significantly impacted by the coronavirus given its global presence and supply chain based in China, resulting in major stock price fluctuation. There have been reports of iPhone shortages and analysts predict that the upcoming 5G iPhone may now be delayed.

Article Link: Tim Cook Offers Work From Home to Most Apple Staff Amid Coronavirus Concerns

 

[Emanuel Rodriguez]

All wise precautions. It's nice to see sane, rational thinking like this, given how much hysteria has been rampant lately.

 

[m0sher]

This is a very productive tool to save money for companies who can because you’ll have less sick days and tax breaks from states who support this.

Not to mention environmental benefit, all the traffic and omissions you save by people not having to daily commute. As well as less oil dependency from other countries.

Skype your business meetings.

 

[4jasontv]

I wonder who decides if their work allows.

 

[saintstryfe]

Great, now we'll just move the capacity to AASPs who don't get the parts to handle it.

 

[konqerror]

Great, now we'll just move the capacity to AASPs who don't get the parts to handle it.

Repairs not done in-store aren't repaired by Apple. They're shipped to and repaired by FedEx. Same plant as Lenovo, in fact.

 

[newyorksole]

Just for the week? That’s nice, but they should maybe do it for the remainder of the month considering infections are only increasing.

It’s too bad that people go to work despite being sick because they don’t have sick hours available and have to make money. Oh the world we live in.

 

[cmaier]

Just for the week? That’s nice, but they should maybe do it for the remainder of the month considering infections are only increasing.

It’s too bad that people go to work despite being sick because they don’t have sick hours available and have to make money. Oh the world we live in.

Presumably they will extend it as facts on the ground dictate.

 

[JCCL]

I wonder who decides if their work allows.

I don't think it is very hard to determine....(I am employed by an employer that allows this). It basically means if you can get your work accomplished with your laptop and remote meetings, then your work allows. If your job requires special tools not available at home, or you need to interact in person with customers or other people, then your job doesn't allow. For example, a retail person has nothing to accomplish at home, while a procurement guy might be able to get around schedule calls and conferences with their suppliers and internal stakeholders, and get the same level of work done.

 

[cmaier]

I wonder who decides if their work allows.

The employee does. You remain responsible to get your work done. If you can do it from home, great. If not, come to work.

 

[konqerror]

The employee does. You remain responsible to get your work done. If you can do it from home, great. If not, come to work.

Not in the vast majority of corporate and government jobs. Your supervisor/manager decides.

 

[citysnaps]

I wonder who decides if their work allows.

I suspect it would be department managers.

 

[cmaier]

Not in the vast majority of corporate and government jobs. Your supervisor/manager decides.

This is Apple, not whatever company you are talking about. They are not a government entity either, so not sure why you raise that.

In any event, in each of the four Silicon Valley companies I’ve worked at, the “it’s ok to work at home if need be” policy has always been based on the employee determining whether he or she can get his or her work done. After all, if so, why force them to come in?

sorry you are employed at a less rationally-run business.

 

[konqerror]

In any event, in each of the four Silicon Valley companies I’ve worked at, the “it’s ok to work at home if need be” policy has always been based on the employee determining whether he or she can get his or her work done. After all, if so, why force them to come in?

While the employee usually has say, at every company I've been at has the manager giving the final approval or denial. And they always have the right to revoke such privileges at their discretion.

Even at universities, every position is coded by the supervisor/HR rep in HR records whether you can work at home and whether you have to show up in emergencies (business/safety critical).

Sorry you've only had cushy mid-level white-collar desk jobs with minimal supervision that allows you to flaunt policies in your life.

 

[dogslobber]

I wonder who decides if their work allows.

Your manager and his manager.

 

[citysnaps]

While the employee usually has say, at every company I've been at has the manager giving the final approval.

Same here, at the four companies companies I worked for in Mountain View/Sunnyvale/Palo Alto. There were some things, outside of straight systems engineering and design, I couldn't do from home. And even then, because of the nature of some of the programs, even systems engineering and design could not be done at home.

 

[CWallace]

Great, now we'll just move the capacity to AASPs who don't get the parts to handle it.

Apple Store staff are probably not eligible to work from home (in general).

Microsoft is now advising people who can to work from home through 25 March, but Microsoft Store staff are not part of that (again - in general).

 

[SeattleMoose]

Here in Seattle the University of Washington has cancelled all physical classes until the end of March. Classes are online only. Good to see Uncle Tim doing the right thing at Apple to protect his braintrust.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

I wonder who decides if their work allows.

The person's manager. All the way from a line employee up the chain to the CEO's office.

Note that some roles have more autonomy and freedom than others. For these folks, asking your boss is really a mere formality because they are probably working remotely on occasion anyhow.

Ultimately it comes down to your boss because he/she is the one will be giving your performance review.

 

[citysnaps]

Here in Seattle the University of Washington has cancelled all physical classes until the end of March. Classes are online only. Good to see Uncle Tim doing the right thing at Apple to protect his braintrust.

In-person classes at Stanford have also been canceled, apparently to the end of the quarter. Smart move.

 

[tothemoonsands]

As far as I’m concerned, Apple can do whatever they want as long as we can get our hands on new MacBook Pros here soon 😉

In all seriousness though, they are handling the situation very well - Apple continues to be a truly top notch corporate citizen .

 

[kasakka]

As a developer it is unfathomable for me at this point to not be able to work from wherever I want. Of course I go to the office or client's office if they want me there or for meetings but for most office jobs there should not be a restriction that you have to sit at your designated office cubicle every day of the week.

By being able to work from home I can take a more relaxed breakfast as I don't have to get dressed up and commute and also start to work earlier which means I can stop working earlier too, leaving me with more free time to spend on my hobbies which leads to less stress.

Working from home all the time is not good for mental health though as you do need to get out and talk to people from time to time. But it's important to have the option. Apple is offering what should be a standard way to work in an office environment.

 

[itr81]

At our company, anyone with a cold or flu like symptoms are being ask, to work from home for 14 days.

 

[RalfTheDog]

We have everyone but the people in the shipping office working from home. They are encouraged to do as much of their work from home as they can. Email and an occasional video conference are your friends.

 

[Cosmosent]

Glad to see Apple is taking a Leadership position on this.