Apple Sets Return-to-Office Deadline After Years of Pandemic Delays

Silicon Valley tech giant Apple is finally prepared to bring employees back to the physical office, more than 2 1/2 years after sending them to work from home in the face of the advancing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker, the most valuable company in the world based on market capitalization, has mandated a post-Labor Day return date of Sept. 5 for its corporate employees, according to a memo first reported by Bloomberg. Workers will be required to head to a physical office at least three days a week, with Tuesday and Thursday established as mandatory in-person days and a third to be determined by individual departments.

Apple’s renewed return-to-office policy will first take effect for workers throughout its Silicon Valley offices and later spread around the world. The company employs more than 37,000 people in the U.S.

The return has been years in the making as the tech company, like other employers, struggled to balance fast-shifting elements such as worker safety, the demand for flexible scheduling and a corporate preference for in-person work. Global tech giants such as Google parent company Alphabet, Facebook parent company Meta, LinkedIn and Amazon have been at the forefront of most pandemic-related remote work or return decisions, since many implemented work-from-home policies weeks before lockdowns shuttered the global economy in early 2020.

Apple’s decision to reopen its offices after Labor Day positions it once again as a leader in the corporate response to the pandemic. It’s a response that the commercial real estate industry is following closely to get a sense of when office property demand will return to levels seen before the global health crisis. Working at home has provided an opportunity for some companies to consider instituting a combination of employees working remotely and in the office to reduce real estate costs.

Apple has stopped and started its return-to-office plans since at least June 2021. Return dates were set and subsequently pushed back as sudden spikes in case counts forced the company to reevaluate its plans.

Apple did not immediately respond to CoStar News’ requests for comment.

The company, which has said it relies on in-person creativity and collaboration to develop its high-end products, has been especially eager to jump back on the path to pre-pandemic normalcy and has been one of the loudest advocates for a return to the workplace even as other large Silicon Valley companies have been more fluid in extending their flexible work models. Many, including Google and Twitter, have adopted work models over the past year that give employees the chance to come in for an abbreviated workweek, relocate to a different office or potentially never return to the office again as flexibility becomes a crucial perk for tech companies competing for talent.