Apple CEO Tim Cook offers employees to work from home amid coronavirus outbreak

Cook in a memo offered staff at key global offices to work from home for the week of March 9 to 13.

Apple CEO Tim Cook described coronavirus outbreak as “unprecedented event” and a “challenging moment” (Bloomberg)

Following the coronavirus outbreak, companies are asking their employees to work from home. Apple CEO Tim Cook has also asked the company employees to work remotely. Cook in a memo to employees said they can work from home for the week of March 9 to 13 if their job allows.

Describing the coronavirus outbreak as "unprecedented event" and a "challenging moment", Cook's memo said, "Please feel free to work remotely if your job allows." The change in policy is aimed at "areas with the greatest density of infections," Cook said. This will affect the offices in South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the UK. In the US, the policy change covers offices the Santa Clara Valley and Elk Grove areas in California, Seattle.

Apart from working from home, Cook said Apple is "making a major effort to reduce human density and ensure those teams that are on-site can do their work safely and with peace of mind." Apple is implementing "new efforts to maximize interpersonal space and continuing, enhanced deep cleanings," according to the memo.

Cook said employees who will be working remotely will "receive pay in alignment with business as usual operations." The company is also making efforts to reduce human density at its stores.

It is worth noting Amazon, Google and Microsoft have already begun asking their employees to work from home in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

Apple is among the top companies that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak. Already, it has lowered its revenue projections for the quarter. Apple is also facing issues with supply and manufacturing mainly driven by partners based out of China. Just this week, Apple has 'warned' retail employees about the shortage of replacement iPhones.

The coronavirus outbreak is also casting a cloud on the company's first big event of the year scheduled to take place next month. Apple is expected to showcase iPhone 9 and other new products at the event. It's likely Apple may hold a virtual conference just like Google's plans for I/O 2020 conference.

(with inputs from Bloomberg)