Apple Said To Be Working On Letting Some Store Employees Work From Home

Apple Inc AAPL plans to pilot a “Retail Flex” program for employees, Bloomberg News reported Thursday — citing people with knowledge of the matter.

What Happened: Apple’s hybrid in-store and work-from-home program will be tried out later this year with a small number of store employees and allow them to work some weeks at their retail store location and other weeks remotely. 

Apple earlier asked office workers to work from the office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning September, while office attendance would be optional on Wednesdays and Fridays.

See Also: Apple Dubs In-Person Collaboration 'Essential' Amid Employee-Protest Over Return To Office

Employees working from home will handle online sales, customer service and technical support, the report noted. 

The Cupertino, California-based tech giant is planning to scale up the program from September to December when the company is scheduled to release several new iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches and AirPods and is asking employees in the pilot program to participate for at least six months, as per Bloomberg.

Apple reopened all its U.S. stores in June after keeping them shut for several months due to the pandemic-related closures.

Why It Matters: According to the report, the program is an acknowledgment that online shopping has got a boost from COVID-19 and is here to stay despite economic re-openings and vaccine availability in many parts of the world. 

Retail employees will manage their store and remote roles depending on demand in stores versus online shopping during a particular period, the report said.

Price Action: Apple shares closed 0.23% higher at $137.27 on Thursday.

See Also: Apple Staff Pushes Back Against Tim Cook's Call For Return To Office In September: Report