After the terrible COVID-19 pandemic, multiple industries have had to turn their events and ways of working completely around, such as Apple, which was noted at WWDC. Although the current situation in 2023 has actually been somewhat more controlled than previous years, Apple is trying to reintegrate the new normal with a change in employee policies, eliminating COVID-19 tests as a requirement to attend the office.
Apple needs more office staff by reducing COVID-19 measures
This report comes from journalist Zoë Schiffer who indicates that from its Apple sources that the Cupertino company is now restructuring the policies for COVID-19 before attending the offices. Now employees who personally attend the company will not have this requirementalthough Apple does not exclude testing in the event of outbreaks.
Among the changes that are taking place in the COVID-19 policies are also the days of sick leave. The pandemic caused that since the new measures there were unlimited days after having had illness in case of presenting symptoms. Now the days are reduced to only five possible in case of presenting symptoms and only if the COVID-19 test is positive.
Despite this, COVID tests will only be mandatory until January 30. Meanwhile, the unlimited days for low will only be acceptable until the end of this August. In this way, the company plans to increase the staff in the offices.
During the month of April last year, there was already evidence of staff returning to offices in person after up to two years of working from home. At first it was one day a week in person, after a month it was two days a week. Beginning in September 2022, staff are required to attend in person up to three days per week.
Apple is usually a pretty restrictive company with work-at-home policies. Due to this situation, there are multiple workers, including senior managers, who resigned during the two years since the pandemic.
Could WWDC 2023 and Apple events also reduce measures?
The pandemic also reduced the way events were traditionally held quite a bit. Apple has made changes with the guests and the press, the same changes that could be noticed at WWDC. The big annual conference where developers see a big opportunity. During 2022, the company only had a select group of developers present attending the conference from Apple Park. This did not take away from the fact that the event itself was pre-recorded as the launch of iPhone 14.
Apple’s plans for this year’s WWDC could still vary and nothing is clear. The company seems to be continuing with pre-recorded events, just as it happened with the iPad Pro M2 and Mac M2. Although the easing of measures by COVID-19 only indicates the great probability of returning to see traditional Apple events.
In this way, Apple may maintain mixed sessions and conferences. sharing pre-recorded videos as well as live sessions from Apple Park. In addition, everything seems to stick to the next big annual event such as Apple’s WWDC and where the company itself could decide whether to completely change the policies and finally return to the previous normality, although adding some measures or simply continue as before but increase a bit. the select group at the face-to-face conferences at Apple Park. Remember that this event is only a few months away.