The image is by Alex Castro.
According to NBC News, Apple closed one of its stores in Texas after many staff members contracted a disease. NBC News reported that four of the store's employees reported positive cases after Black Friday, and that a manager told 22 staffers that they were positive for COVID-19. The store will be closed on Sunday.
The NBC News report highlighted a few worrying trends. One employee said they had raised concerns about being unable to keep their distance. The store was packed on Black Friday. The manager at the store in Southlake asked employees to come even if they had called in sick.
Four current and former employees of the store in Southlake told NBC that their manager encourages them to come to work even when they are sick. The results of the Covid-19 survey were not given to the employee in two of the cases. The manager didn't respond to NBC's requests.
Retail staffers are required to wear masks and take a survey before they go to work. Unvaccinated workers must be tested twice per week and vaccined workers must be tested once per week.
The company did not respond to the request for comment. According to a report from The Verge, many Apple workers find their working conditions intolerable.
Most of Apple's corporate employees will return to the offices in a hybrid work pilot on February 1st. The hybrid work plans were announced in June but were delayed to January and February. Meta has recently updated its return to work policies. The offices will reopen on January 31st, but staff will be able to take a break for three to five months.
