September 1st – According to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg News on Wednesday, Apple Inc (AAPL.O) is asking its U.S Apple employees are asked to report their vaccination status as COVID-19 cases rise in the country.
According to the report, Apple has asked all employees, whether they work remotely or in an office, to report their status “voluntarily” by mid-September.
Companies have changed their policies on vaccinations and masking in response to new guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It requires fully vaccinated individuals to wear masks. Highly contagious Delta variant drives resurgence in new COVID-19 infections. Due to which big tech firms are also delaying their return-to-work timelines.
New standard for U.S Apple employees’vaccination:
Under the new standards, an employee who comes into the office every day should be tested every day of the week. Apple has resisted enacting a vaccination mandate that would compel employees to get vaccinated before returning to work. Employees who have been vaccinated at Apple will be required to take a quick test once a week.
Unvaccinated retail personnel will be required to test twice a week instead of daily. While vaccinated retail employees will be required to do a quick test once a week.
Employees undergoing testing will be able to use at-home fast exams obtained from Apple’s corporate headquarters and retail locations. Employees must self-report the outcomes of the tests, which take 15 minutes.
Many other tech businesses have introduced vaccination mandates. Something Apple has so far refused to do, but as Bloomberg points out, Apple’s policies may need to be changed soon. Apple distributes products to the government. By December 8, The Biden administration is forcing all federal contractors to demand their employees to get vaccinated.
Apple has urged U.S Apple employees to show confirmation of their vaccination status by October 24. They will be required to do so in the near future. The new testing criteria will be implemented on November 1st.
Beginning in January, Apple expects employees to return to the office at least three days per week.
