Apple Inc., (NASDAQ: AAPL) formerly Apple Computer Inc.

, is an American multinational
corporation that designs and manufactures consumer electronics and software products. The
company's best-known hardware products include Macintosh computers, the iPod and the
iPhone. Apple software includes the Mac OS X operating system, the iTunes media browser, the
iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software, the iWork suite of productivity software, and
Final Cut Studio, a suite of professional audio and film-industry software products. The company
operates several hundred retail stores in a number of countries as well as the online online store
and iTunes Store.

Apple, Inc. is one of the most successful companies in the world. The company has been
providing robust technology products and exceptional software services. Apple is headquartered
in Cupertino, California and was founded by Steve Jobs.
Apple launched its first product ‘Apple 1 computer’ in 1976. Since then, Apple has grown
exponentially in terms of products and services. Today, one of the most successful products of
Apple is the ‘iPhone’. In the year 2018, Apple sold 217 million iPhones. Tim Cook is the current
CEO of the company.

Established in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976, co-founded by Steve Jobs and Steve
Wozniak, the company was called "Apple Computer, Inc." for its first 30 years, but dropped the
word "Computer" on January 9, 2007 to reflect the company's ongoing expansion into the
consumer electronics market. Through its philosophy of comprehensive aesthetic design and its
distinctive advertising campaigns, Apple Inc. has established a unique reputation in the consumer
electronics industry. Apple has attracted a customer base that is devoted to the company and its
brand, particularly in the United States.

Apple was one of several highly successful companies founded in the 1970s that challenged the
traditional notions of corporate culture, implementing a horizontal rather than a vertical (flat
versus tall) organizational hierarchy and requiring employees to wear casual rather than formal
attire. Other highly successful firms with similar cultural aspects from the same time period
include Southwest Airlines and Microsoft. Apple seemed to be in direct contrast to staid
competitors like IBM; Steve Jobs often walked around the office barefoot even after Apple
became a Fortune 500 company. By the time of the "1984" TV ad, this trait had become a key
way in which the company attempts differentiated itself from its competitors.

According to surveys by J. D. Power, Apple has the highest brand and repurchase loyalty of any
computer manufacturer. While this brand loyalty is considered unusual for any product, Apple
appears not to have gone out of its way to create it. After Apple discovered the extent of brand
loyalty among its customers, it actively engaged “Apple evangelists,” employees whose job was
to convince software developers to write software products for the Macintosh. “Apple
evangelists” promote Apple products primarily by working with third-party developers and
helping them to get the assistance they need from Apple staff.

Apple supports the continuing existence of a network of Mac User Groups in most major and
many minor centers of population where Mac computers are available. Mac users meet at the
European Apple Expo and the San Francisco Macworld Conference & Expo trade shows, where
Apple has traditionally introduced new products each year to the industry and public. Mac
developers gather at the annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference.

Apple Store openings have drawn crowds of thousands, with some waiting in line as long as a
day before the opening or flying in from other countries for the event. The opening of the New
York City Fifth Avenue "Cube" store had a line almost half a mile long; a few Mac fans even
used the event as a setting to propose marriage. The line for the opening of the Ginza store in
Tokyo exceeded eight city blocks and was estimated in the thousands.

Market research indicates that Apple’s customer base is unusually artistic, creative, and well-
educated, which may explain the platform’s popularity with certain youthful, avant-garde
subcultures.

Apple has a reputation for fostering individuality and excellence that attracts talented people into
its employ. To recognize the best of its employees, Apple created the Apple Fellows program.
Apple Fellows are those who have made extraordinary technical or leadership contributions to
personal computing while at the company. The Apple Fellowship has so far been awarded to a
few individuals including Bill Atkinson, Steve Capps, Rod Holt, Alan Kay, Andy Hertzfeld, Guy
Kawasaki, Al Alcorn, Don Norman, and Steve Wozniak.

Leadership in apple

Leadership is one of the most important aspects of every organization and business. Leadership
is the process of guiding and directing behavior. Although leadership seems like an easy and
common aspect of an organization to achieve, it is actually very difficult to find quality
leadership skills in order to make a company successful. Apple Inc. is widely known for the
exceptional leadership of Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs’ leadership skills skyrocketed Apple from
another technology company to a world leader in technology. Jobs set the stage for the future of
technology through his successful leadership skills. When Jobs passed away and co-founder Tim
Cook took over as CEO, people were worried that Cook’s leadership skills were not strong
enough to keep Apple as a technology powerhouse. As time went on and Apple’s success
continued and even grew, there was only one thing to credit that success to and that was Tim
Cook’s leadership skills.

According to an article posted by Entrepreneur.com, Tim Cook has six major beliefs that shape
his leadership style. The first belief is don’t fix what isn’t broken. Since Apple was doing so well
as a company when Steve Jobs passed away, Tim Cook held back the urge to make major
changes and do things his way right away because there was no need for it. The second belief is
to keep calm and have faith. When analysts and economists were projecting Apple’s sales to
plummet or said that Apple has reached its peak potential, Cook never panicked. The third belief
is don’t try to be what you’re not. Cook realized that he is not Steve Jobs and no matter how
tempting it is to take over and be the big man in charge, Cook knew to stick to the man he is and
not try to be someone he’s not. The fourth belief is that you can be nice and competitive. The
fifth belief is to make risky and smart bets. Apple has not gotten to where it is today from not
taking risks. With that being said, it is also important to be smart in order to hone in on your
potential success from a risky decision. The sixth and final belief of Tim Cook is to put your
money where your mouth is. With these six beliefs, Tim Cook has been able to project the
quality leadership skills necessary to continue Apple Inc.’s success.

Empowerment in Apple Inc.

Empowerment is sharing power in such a way that individuals learn to believe in their ability to
do a job. Empowerment is a positive form of power, because without the belief that one can do a
job, that person will most likely not do the job. In Apple Inc., managers want their employees to
feel empowered by the job at hand and other parts of the company.

Apple wants their employees to be well rounded and knowledgable, no matter what task they are
working on. Managers and upper level staff at Apple Inc. believe in empowering all employees
that they look over. The more empowerment Apple displays, the more efficient the job will be.

Not only does Apple empower workers and their current task at hand, but also they empower
workers to expand their horizons within the company. Empowerment is a simple idea to push
for, but it can be difficult to put empowerment into place. Apple Inc. has established a way to
empower their workers successfully. Apple provides onsite training and educational courses on
all aspects of Apple Inc. On Apple’s website, they have a section titled, “Empowering Workers:
Preparing People for the Workplace and Beyond”. This demonstrates how Apple encourages all
of their employees to become more well rounded and skillful.

A major part of Apple’s success can be contributed to the continuous empowerment of workers.
An empowered worker is a happy and effective worker. Apple would not be nearly as successful
as they are today if workers did not believe in themselves and their ability of completing a job.

Teamwork in Apple Inc.

When one thinks about an essential aspect for any organization, almost the first thing that comes
to mind is teamwork. Without teamwork, no company would be successful. Teamwork not only
allows different ideas to be expressed, but also it is necessary to get a job done. Teamwork is a
collaborative effort to get a task completed.

In Apple Inc., teamwork is especially important. Apple is all about innovation and creating new
technology first. With the nonstop demands of Apple customers, Apple employees must team up
to figure out the best way to fill these demands. Apple has to consider many aspects of the
company in order to create their product. They need to consider the technology, the marketing,
the finances, and how to use the product. Since all of these aspects are essential in every Apple
product, employees of Apple in all of these fields must team up and work together in order to
make a successful product. Steve Jobs, former Apple CEO, described teamwork as, “Teamwork
is dependent on trusting the other folks to come through with their part without watching them
all the time”. This belief by Steve Jobs helped to establish the importance and foundation of
teamwork in Apple. Apple has 7 key components about team work. The first is that one person is
in charge. The second is that project teams at Apple must meet once a week. Third, teamwork
starts at the top of the organization then trickles down. The fourth component is that trust is key.
The fifth component is to have wonderful arguments. This is a strategy to push people to their
potential. Sixth, one has to let people make decisions. The last, and arguably the most important,
is to work towards one goal.

Stress Management in Apple Inc.

It is no secret that employees of Apple Inc. experience high amounts of stress. The constant
deadlines, the push for new and innovative ideas, and the constant nagging from confused
customers are just some examples of factors that contribute to Apple employees’ stress. So how
do employees at Apple stay sane? Through stress management. The late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs,
practiced meditation religiously, even marrying in a Zen ceremony. Because of his success of
becoming centered and his ability to handle stress due to meditation, Jobs decided to bring these
ideals into his company. According to OnlineMBA.com, Jobs allows employees to, “take 30
minutes each day to meditate at work, providing classes on meditation and yoga on-site, and
offering the use of a meditation room”. There are many companies that do not offer this break in
the work day for stress relief. Although 30 minutes may not seem like much for a work day,
spending 30 minutes each day to destress can do wonders for an individual. Reducing stress can
increase a persons physical and mental health. It can also help them perform better at work and
make work more enjoyable. In extreme cases, like Steve Jobs, meditation and the concepts he
learned through meditation was a major key to his success at Apple. If individuals are given
more time during the day to practice stress management techniques, they will be living healthier
lives.

Motivation in Apple

Apple is a large company made up of thousands of employees. At times, the work can be
stressful and take a toll on an employee’s stamina. In order to keep everything moving
efficiently, managers must motivate their employees to keep working productively. Steve Jobs,
former CEO of Apple, believed in empowering his employees to not only believe in the
company, but also to believe in themselves. Steve Jobs believed in socialized power, which is
when a person uses their power to take interest in others and the goals of the organization, thus
connecting and motivating all parties involved. Apple employees also use each other as
motivation. They trust and inspire one another to be innovative and productive. There are many
brains behind the creation of new Apple technology, and this requires coworkers to have each
other’s backs and support one another. Apple is very much a team oriented company, with many
employees working together on projects. When employees are able to feed off of each other, that
creates more motivation for everyone involved. Apple’s belief of genuine concern for others
makes them a selfless company that likes to see each one of their employees succeed. With this
support, it is easy for motivation to be spread around.

Job Satisfaction in Apple

People who work at Apple, whether it be at a retail store or at Apple Headquarters, have a tough
job. That being said, Apple employees have given feedback saying Apple is a great place to
work. The Huffington Post ranked Apple as 8th in their article titled, “The 10 Best Companies to
Work For”. Among the feedback from Apple employees, the majority are happy with their jobs.
Employees say they like working at Apple because they feel like their work has a major impact
on others. They like knowing that what they do directly impacts someone and that they are a part
of something bigger. Employees also like knowing that they are working with brilliant people.
Everyone who works at Apple is innovative and creative in their own way, and employees feel
like they are constantly learning from coworkers and bettering themselves. Contrary to popular
belief, many employees say that there is a lot of independence and freedom while working at
Apple and they are not micromanaged like many people assume. There is always room to grow
and move in the company and Apple is flexible when it comes to wanting to move around in
different fields in the company. The salaries and benefits from Apple are good, even for part-
time employees. Business Insider reports that part-time employees who work 20 or more hours a
week are given health and 401K benefits. A key concept employees talked about was the
excellent leadership. The late Steve Jobs was applauded for his excellent leadership, and his
predecessor Tim Cook has a 94% approval rating among his employees. Job satisfaction is
essential in a company, because the happier employees are with their jobs, then the more
productive they will be

Apple’s Organizational Culture Type and Characteristics

Apple Inc. has an organizational culture for creative innovation. The company’s cultural features
focus on maintaining a high level of innovation that involves creativity and a mindset that
challenges conventions and standards. The business depends on cultural support and coherence,
which are determinants of competitiveness and industry leadership, especially in addressing
aggressive and rapid technological innovation and product development. The following are the
main characteristics of Apple’s corporate culture:

1. Top-notch excellence
2. Creativity
3. Innovation
4. Secrecy
5. Moderate combativeness
Top-notch Excellence.
Apple’s organizational culture comes with a policy of hiring only the best of the best in the labor
market. Steve Jobs was known to fire employees who did not meet his expectations. This
tradition continues under Tim Cook. Such a tradition maintains and reinforces a corporate culture
that promotes, appreciates, and expects top-notch excellence among employees. This cultural
trait is institutionalized in Apple’s organization. For example, the company has programs that
recognize and reward excellence among workers. Excellence is emphasized as a critical success
factor in the business, especially in product design and development, which is a major growth
strategy (see Apple Inc.’s Generic Strategy and Intensive Growth Strategies).

Creativity.
This cultural characteristic pertains to new ideas that help improve the business and its products.
Apple’s management favors creativity among employees’ knowledge, skills, and abilities. This
characteristic of the corporate culture enables the company to ensure sufficient creativity,
especially among employees involved in product design and development processes. Such
creativity is observable in the design and features of iPhones, Macs, and iPads, among other
products included in Apple’s marketing mix or 4Ps. In this regard, the organizational culture
helps maintain the company’s capacity to satisfy customers’ expectations and preferences.

Innovation.
Apple’s organizational culture supports rapid innovation. The company is frequently appraised
as one of the most innovative companies in the world. Based on this cultural trait, the firm trains
and motivates it employees to innovate in terms of individual work performance and
contributions to product development processes. The corporate culture facilitates rapid
innovation, which is at the heart of Apple Inc.’s business. Rapid innovation ensures that the
company continues to introduce new products that are profitable and attractive to target
customers.

Secrecy.
 Steve Jobs developed Apple to have an organizational culture of secrecy. This cultural
characteristic continues to define the company’s human resource development. Secrecy is part of
the company’s strategy to minimize theft of proprietary information or intellectual property. It is
also a strategic management approach that enables Apple Inc. to maximize its leading edge
against competitors. Through the corporate culture, employees are encouraged and expected to
keep business information within the company. This cultural trait is reinforced through the
company’s policies, rules, and employment contracts. In this context, Apple’s organizational
culture helps protect the business from corporate espionage and the negative effects of employee
poaching.

Moderate Combativeness.
Apple’s organizational culture has moderate combativeness. This feature is linked to Steve Jobs
and his combative approach to leadership. He was known to randomly challenge employees to
ensure that they have what it takes to work at Apple. However, under Tim Cook’s leadership, the
company has been changing its corporate culture to a more sociable and a less combative one.
Nonetheless, combativeness remains a major influence in the business. Apple’s corporate culture
exhibits a moderate degree of combativeness that presents challenges that aim to enhance
employees’ output.

Apple’s Corporate Culture – Advantages, Disadvantages, Recommendations

Advantages and Benefits.

The combination of top-notch excellence, creativity and innovation in Apple’s organizational
culture supports the company’s industry leadership. The business is widely regarded as a leader
in terms of innovation and product design. These cultural characteristics empower Apple and its
human resources to stand out and stay ahead of competitors. This corporate culture enables
success and competitive advantages, as well as the further strengthening of the company’s brand,
which is one of the key business strengths shown in the SWOT analysis of Apple Inc. Creativity
and excellence are especially important in the company’s rapid innovation processes for
continuous competitiveness and business development.
Drawbacks and Weaknesses
Apple’s corporate culture brings challenges because of the emphasis on secrecy and the
moderate degree of combativeness. An atmosphere of secrecy limits rapport among workers.
Also, moderate combativeness has the potential to limit or reduce employees’ morale. These
cultural issues can reduce business effectiveness and increase employee turnover. Apple Inc. can
address this situation by modifying its organizational culture to reduce but not necessarily
remove combativeness. This recommendation focuses on reducing the disadvantages of
combativeness, without eliminating the benefits of combative approaches in the company. Also,
Apple can integrate new cultural traits to keep the business relevant, given trends and changes in
the information technology, cloud services, digital content distribution, and consumer electronics
industry environment.

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT
With the adjusting of the four cultures and knowing the significance of work fulfilment.Apple
has made a broad and focused advantages bundle for its full time corporate representatives. A
portion of these advantages include: medical coverage, dental protection, vision protection, extra
security, inability protection, arrangement, representative stock buy design, maternity and
paternity leave, paid time off, wiped out days, paid occasions, worker rebate, participation,
transportation help, and expert advancement courses. Apple additionally gives Diversity
Network Associations (DNAs) – bunches where representatives can make associations that make
trust and a sentiment having a place. A few cases of these DNAs include: African American
Employee Association, Apple Jewish Association, Amigos@Apple, Pride@Apple,
Women@Apple. Notwithstanding full time corporate representatives accepting advantages and
system gatherings, Apple's inventory network workers get specific self-improvement benefits.
Apple built up the Supplier Employee Education and Development (SEED) program. Apple sets
up classrooms in provider offices in a few regions.

Apple encourages staff to own their learning and development

As one of the most successful companies in history, Apple’s competitive advantage lies in being
able to frequently produce new products in completely different industries such as computers,
media and mobile phones. Therefore, its employee skillset and expertise requirements change
faster than any other organization. Apple’s strategy for learning and development requires them
to place a greater focus on encouraging their employees to be self-reliant.

Apple encourage their employees to take ownership of their own professional development so
they can continuously learn the skills that will be required for taking on new projects.

Employee benefits
1. Apple employees get an annual 25% discount when they purchase an iPod, computer, or
iPad. Every three years, workers can get $250 off an iPad or $500 off a Mac. Apple
software is 50% off. The company also offers other discounts for family and friends,
depending on the product.
2. Apple allows mothers to take four weeks of paid leave before giving birth and 14 weeks
after. Non-birth parents get six weeks of paid time off, according to TIME.
3. The tech company also covers the cost of egg freezing.
4. Employees are treated to free beer and appetizers at the company's beer bashes -- not to
mention some of the biggest names in music. Stevie Wonder, Demi Lovato, and
OneRepublic have all performed at these semi-regular events.
5. An employee based in Manhasset, New York, reported Apple provides employees with a
$300 gym credit annually.
6. At Apple, new hires get 12 days of paid time off

Apple is hiring more diverse workers, but its total shares of women and
minorities aren’t budging much

Apple continued to hire greater numbers of Asian, black and Latino workers over the past year,
but the overall racial and gender breakdown of the company’s workforce remains mostly
unchanged since 2016. apple added more women to its leadership ranks in 2017. As a whole,
though, Apple acknowledged in its latest report that diversifying an employee base of roughly
130,000 workers is no easy task, explaining: “Meaningful change takes time.”
Around the world, Apple’s workforce in 2017 is 68 percent male and 32 percent female. That’s
the same gender breakdown that the tech giant reported in 2016. But it reflects a 2 percent
improvement in the number of women in Apple’s ranks over the past three years. That translates
to 37,000 hires, the company said.

Then, Apple reported that 19 percent of its workers were Asian, 9 percent were black and 12
percent were Latino, the 2016 data.

In sharing its new figures, Apple debuted a new diversity portal that emphasized many of its
hires over the past year — 27 percent — identify as underrepresented minorities. In tech-related
fields, meanwhile, the iPhone giant estimated that 50 percent of its newest workers come from
underrepresented groups, including women as well as blacks, Latinos and other racial minority
groups.

Apple also stressed that it has added more women to its leadership ranks.

In 2017, the company reported that 29 percent of leadership roles are filled by women, up from
28 percent last year. Among the additions at the top of the tech giant are Katherine Adams,
Apple’s new general counsel; Isabel Ge Mahe, who oversees Apple’s work in China and Deirdre
O'Brien, who recently was elevated to become the company’s vice president of People.

Apple takes big steps to confront coronavirus impact outside China

In response to the spread of the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, Apple is taking
several big steps to ensure the health of its customers and employees. For one, Apple is shutting
down all of its worldwide retail stores outside of mainland China until further notice. For
another, Apple is allowing Apple Card holders to skip their March payments without paying
interest (although you’ll need to enroll in the program).

Apple announced the closure of all of its retail stores outside China on Friday, March 13. As
Apple CEO Tim Cook explained in his statement, the company took this measure after learning
lessons from its experience in China.
“One of those lessons is that the most effective way to minimize risk of the virus’s transmission
is to reduce density and maximize social distance,” Cook said.

Apple started closing its Chinese retail stores in early February, and every mainland store had
reopened by March 13.

Apple also published an FAQ addressing concerns customers might have about the closures.
Notably, Apple is allowing customers to return new devices for up to two weeks after store
reopen if those customers’ return date would have fallen on dates affected by the closure. The
main exceptions are contracted iPhones or those with carrier financing; or products that can be
exchanged for gift cards rather than a refund. Apple said that any repaired devices can be picked
up on March 15 or March 16 between 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time (So, at the time of
writing, you only have a few hours left.)

In addition, Apple allowed for “flexible working arrangements” for Apple employees, saying
that they “should work remotely if their job allows, and those whose work requires them to be on
site should follow guidance to maximize interpersonal space.”

The company also said that all hourly employees would continue to be paid as though their
workplaces were operating normally.

Apple is also relieving some of any possible financial burdens arising from the pandemic by
allowing holders of the Apple Card to skip their March payments without having to worry about
interest charges. There’s a small catch, though—you’ll have to enroll in the plan by contacting
Apple Card support through Messages. Otherwise you’ll still be charged interest for March. The
Cupertino company described this process in an email that was sent to Apple Card holders, so be
sure to check your inbox for more information.
And finally, Apple reported in its statement Friday that it has donated $15 million to date in
order to “help treat those who are sick and to help lessen the economic and community impacts
of the pandemic.” Beyond that sum, Apple says it will match employee contributions to relief
efforts two-for-one.

Tim Cook Reveals How Apple Takes Care of Its Employees with This One
Simple Health Tip

Apple is the world's biggest technology major on many fronts and a recent disclosure by the
company's CEO, Tim Cook, comes as another testimony to the fact. In its relatively new
headquarters in Cupertino, California, Apple employees have been provided with standing desks
to work, as mentioned by Cook. The reason? "It is much better for your lifestyle," says the Apple
Chief.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Apple CEO disclosed how the company takes care of its
employees' to the point that it incorporates healthy habits in its work environment right down to
the way they are seated while at work. "We have given all of our employees, 100%, standing
desks. If you can stand for a while, then sit, and so on and so forth, it's much better for your
lifestyle," Cook said during the interview.

Apple can be seen employing the simple health tip for its users too. A similar feature can be
found on Apple Watch which indicates users to stand up and move after a prolonged period of
inactivity. Tim Cook is famously mindful of this, a proof of which was seen as he also made
David Rubenstein, the co-founder of The Carlyle Group, stand with him during
the Bloomberg interview.

carefully incorporated benefits for the Apple employees, the Apple Park is a construction marvel
in itself. The workplace spreads out across 175-acre in a ring-shape, including a 2.8 million-
square-foot main building that is made of the world’s largest panels of curved glass. For safety
during a natural calamity, the main ring building can move up to 4 and 1/2 feet horizontally in an
earthquake scenario. It’s because of base isolator technology that is anchored to the foundation
so that it moves with the ground motion while the building remains in position.
What's more, the Apple Park also includes a visitor center with an Apple Store and cafe which is
open to the public and is surrounded by olive trees, a 100,000-square-foot fitness center for
Apple employees, secure research and development facilities and the Steve Jobs Theater. The
parklands offer two miles of walking and running paths for employees, plus an orchard, meadow
and pond within the ring’s interior grounds.

Apple’s COVID-19 response

To the worldwide Apple family,

The global spread of COVID-19 is affecting every one of us. At Apple, we are people first,
and we do what we do with the belief that technology can change lives and the hope that it
can be a valuable tool in a moment like this. Teachers are innovating to make remote
lessons come alive. Companies are experimenting with new ways to stay productive. And
medical experts can diagnose illnesses and reach millions with critical updates in the blink
of an eye. We are all adapting and responding in our own way, and Apple wants to
continue to play a role in helping individuals and communities emerge stronger.
But this global effort — to protect the most vulnerable, to study this virus, and to care for
the sick — requires all of our care, and all of our participation. And I want to update you
about the ways in which we are doing our part.
Giving Back
Apple’s committed donations to the global COVID-19 response — both to help treat those
who are sick and to help lessen the economic and community impacts of the pandemic —
today reached $15 million worldwide.
We’re also announcing that we are matching our employee donations two-to-one to
support COVID-19 response efforts locally, nationally and internationally.
In Our Offices and Stores
First, I want to recognise Apple’s family in Greater China. Though the rate of infections
has dramatically declined, we know COVID-19’s effects are still being strongly felt. I want
to express my deep gratitude to our team in China for their determination and spirit. As of
today, all of our stores in Greater China have reopened. I also want to thank our
operations team and partners for their remarkable efforts to restore our supply chain.
What we’ve learned together has helped us all develop the best practices that are assisting
enormously in our global response.
One of those lessons is that the most effective way to minimise risk of the virus’s
transmission is to reduce density and maximise social distance. As rates of new infections
continue to grow in other places, we’re taking additional steps to protect our team
members and customers.
We will be closing all of our retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27. We are
committed to providing exceptional service to our customers. Our online stores are open at
www.apple.com, or you can download the Apple Store app on the App Store. For service
and support, customers can visit support.apple.com. I want to thank our extraordinary
Retail teams for their dedication to enriching our customers’ lives. We are all so grateful to
you.
In all of our offices, we are moving to flexible work arrangements worldwide outside of
Greater China. That means team members should work remotely if their job allows, and
those whose work requires them to be on site should follow guidance to maximise
interpersonal space. Extensive, deep cleaning will continue at all sites. In all our offices, we
are rolling out new health screenings and temperature checks.
All of our hourly workers will continue to receive pay in alignment with business as usual
operations. We have expanded our leave policies to accommodate personal or family health
circumstances created by COVID-19 — including recovering from an illness, caring for a
sick loved one, mandatory quarantining, or childcare challenges due to school closures.
For Our Users and Partners
We know our users depend on Apple products all the time, and especially in times like
these. We’re bringing the same creativity and passion to meeting this challenge that we do
in everything else we undertake.
Apple News has launched a new COVID-19 section, where users can be sure that they can
find the latest verified reporting from trusted news outlets.
As you may have seen, our annual Worldwide Developers Conference will be in an entirely
new online format this year. We see this as an opportunity to bring together developers
around the world in an innovative way.
Looking Ahead
There is no mistaking the challenge of this moment. The entire Apple family is indebted to
the heroic first responders, doctors, nurses, researchers, public health experts and public
servants globally who have given every ounce of their spirit to help the world meet this
moment. We do not yet know with certainty when the greatest risk will be behind us.
And yet I have been inspired by the humanity and determination I have seen from all
corners of our global community. As President Lincoln said in a time of great adversity:
“The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case
is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.”
That’s always how Apple has chosen to meet big challenges. And it’s how we’ll rise to meet
this one, too.
Tim Cook