Apple is gearing up to bring more employees back to the office. And that means taking measures to safeguard staff against COVID-19.
According to The Verge reporter Zoe Schiffer, Apple is requesting that employees disclose their current vaccination status with the company in some locations.
“Apple is asking our team members in certain locations to share their current vaccination status,” Apple’s guidance notes. “You can confidentially share whether you’re fully vaccinated, have had a partial dose, are not vaccinated, or do not wish to share.”
From Apple's internal HR site: “If you don’t provide your vaccination status, your vaccination status is assumed to be unvaccinated…If you’re not fully vaccinated and working onsite in an Apple building, additional health and safety protocols may apply.”
— Zoë Schiffer (@ZoeSchiffer) July 29, 2021
The company’s internal HR webpage notes that those who do not provide vaccination status are assumed to be unvaccinated. “If you’re not fully vaccinated and working onsite in an Apple building, additional health and safety protocols may apply,” it continues.
The report does not expand on what these “additional health and safety protocols” involve.
Apple has been proactive about safety measures to protect against coronavirus. Early on in the pandemic, it began implementing temperature checks, mandatory mask-wearing, and social distancing methods at Apple Stores. (This week it resumed requirements of mask-wearing at half its Apple Store locations in the U.S.)
In June, CEO Tim Cook said that Apple employees should get ready to return to the office by early September. However, that date has now been pushed back to October at the earliest for most employees. This is as a result of a spike in COVID cases.
