Apple's Return-To-Office Plan Delayed Until 2022

Apple, Inc. AAPL employees may not have to return to the office this year amid the resurgence in the spread of COVID-19.

What Happened: Apple has pushed back the timeline for its employees to return to the office to 2022, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing a staff memo.

The tech giant advised its employees to get vaccinated and said it would reconfirm the reopening schedule a month in advance, the report added.

The company had originally planned to bring in employees to the office three days a week beginning in early September.

Subsequently, taking into account the evolving COVID-19 scenario, the company delayed the return to office to October.

The decision to postpone the reopening of offices until 2022 comes amid the spread of the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, which is threatening to derail the return to normalcy.

Apple, however, is not planning to shut down its offices or retail locations, Bloomberg said.

Related Link: Why Apple Is A 'Top Tech Name' To Own Right Now

Why It's Important: Ever since Apple began talking about a return to office, employees have been voicing opinions against it, with some of them even choosing to quit.

Apple's contention in support of its decision to get employees back at their desks is the company's best innovations have come from on-site work.

"Despite a smooth transition to remote working, it was not an adequate replacement for in-person collaboration," CEO Tim Cook had said in an earlier communication to employees.

AAPL Price Action: Apple shares were advancing 0.89% to $148 at last check Friday. 

Related Link: Why This Apple Stock Analyst Says It's Time To Buy

Photo: Apple CEO Tim Cook. Handout photo.