Apple will require vaccination or frequent testing for U.S. workers beginning Nov. 1

Apple Inc. will require unvaccinated U.S. office workers to test daily for COVID-19 and unvaccinated retail employees to test twice a week beginning Nov. 1. Vaccinated Apple employees—both corporate and retail—will be required to take a rapid COVID-19 test once a week.

Employees will be able to pick up at-home rapid tests from Apple offices and Apple retail stores. Results from these tests will be available in 15 minutes, and employees will self-report their test results through an internal app.

Apple asked all employees to report their vaccination statuses by Oct. 24, delayed from the previous mid-September date.

Apple workers who choose not to disclose their vaccination status will be required to follow the same guidelines as unvaccinated employees.

The company is having employees plan to transition to working in-office at least three days per week beginning in January. However, Apple will provide a one-month warning on any official return to office deadline.

This aligns with the Biden administration push for all businesses with over 100 people to require vaccines or test staff at least once per week.

Apple’s guidelines are less restrictive than other big tech companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft, which require in-person workers to have proof of vaccination.

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