Apple Temporarily Closes All Retail Stores Outside China Amid Pandemic
Apple shuts down all retail locations outside of Greater China until late March to promote social distancing. The tech giant also transitions to remote work and guarantees pay for hourly employees during the closure.
Apple closes all of its retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27 to minimize the risk of spreading the coronavirus. CEO Tim Cook states that the company applies lessons learned from the China outbreak, emphasizing that reducing density and maximizing social distance represent the most effective ways to protect team members and customers.
The technology giant transitions all offices outside of Greater China to flexible working arrangements, urging employees to work remotely if possible. For staff who must be on site, Apple mandates strict guidelines to maximize interpersonal space and implements deep cleaning, new health screenings, and temperature checks at all locations.
Apple ensures financial security for its workers by continuing to pay all hourly employees as if operations are running normally. The company also updates its leave policy to accommodate personal or family health circumstances related to COVID-19, while warning investors that it will not meet its March quarter revenue guidance due to the global impact of the virus.