Starting February 15th, Apple will require its employees to prove that they have received booster shots for the Covid-19 vaccine along with frequent testing. In addition, any unvaccinated employee will be required to take a rapid test before entering the building for work. Apple has had to shut down many stores recently following the massive surge in cases due to the spread of the Omicron variant.
This is not the first time Apple has powered down on its employees. Emma Roth and Zoe Schiffer of The Verge point this out, stating, “Last year, Apple asked that unvaccinated corporate employees take daily tests before entering the office, with unvaccinated retail workers testing twice per week. The company also began requiring vaccinated individuals to take COVID-19 tests once every week and later lowered the frequency of these tests. It appears that Apple’s “infrequent” testing policy no longer applies to employees who don’t receive the booster shot by Apple’s deadline, however.”
Many employers across the country are mandating vaccination for their employees, especially in high-demand industries like tech, where they can’t necessarily afford to fall back on productivity. At this point in the pandemic, we face exposure any time we leave the house, so companies must put safety measures in place to prevent any more disruptions in business.
