Apple says it will keep US stores closed until early May due to the coronavirus pandemic after initially announcing it would open by March 27
- Apple says all its retail stores in the US will remain closed until early May
- Initial closures began in mid-March and were thought to last just two weeks
- Apple has said it will continue paying hourly employees during the closure
Apple has decided to keep its 270 retail locations in the US closed for longer than originally planned.
In an email to employees, Apple’s senior vice president Deirdre O’Brien said that Apple Stores would remain closed until early May.
In mid-March, when Apple first announced the decision to close all its US retail locations, the company said they would remain closed for two weeks.
Apple’s retail stores in the US will remain closed until at least early May, according to a memo sent to employees. The closures were first announced in mid-March and were initially supposed to last just two weeks
The two-week mark was passed on March 27, amid rapidly growing numbers of COVID-19 cases across the US, prompting the company to reevaluate its initial timeline.
According to O’Brien’s memo, which was obtained by Bloomberg, the company is ‘continuing to monitor local conditions for every facility on a daily basis.’
A decision on when to reopen its retail locations will be made ‘on the basis of thorough, thoughtful reviews and the latest guidance from local governments and public health experts.’
When the closures were initially announced, Apple said it would continue to pay all its hourly workers ‘in alignment with business as usual operations.’
The company has instituted a work-from-home policy for all of its corporate offices and expects it to continue until early May as well.
O’Brien acknowledge the shift has come with many new challenges for some of its employees with children and has encouraged its workers to create alternate schedules to accommodate childcare and home schooling efforts.
Apple has said that all hourly employees will continue to be paid ‘in alignment with business as usual operations’
In addition to the Apple Store closures, the company has instituted a work-from-home policy for all corporate employees and has offered to reimburse expenses on home office furniture and supplies
According to some reports, the change has been especially challenging for the engineering and design departments working on unannounced products the company had planned to reveal later in the year.
According to Bloomberg, some of the company’s software engineers have complained about working from home without access to prototypes of the next iPhone models and other devices.
To try and boost morale, Apple has offered to reimburse employees for home office purchases.
They’ve also sent tips on ergonomics and productivity, and even hosted a companywide contest for employees to share photos of their home offices.
‘If you’re working on anything confidential,’ the contest rules state, ‘please keep it out of the shot.’
