Apple is asking employees in the United States to declare Covid vaccination status

Apple continues to tweak its formula when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, especially as it relates to its physical retail stores, corporate headquarters, and employees. However, the company also continues to avoid doing one thing in particular, even as many people out there in the wild suggest it should. And that would be make an actual mandate for vaccinations against COVID-19.

If the company is working in that direction, this may be another indicator of that, though. As reported today by Bloomberg, Apple has begun asking employees this week in the United States to report their status regarding their COVID-19 vaccination status. This is not a mandate, either, though. Apple is simply requesting that employees in the U.S. voluntarily reveal their vaccination status. But apparently Apple is hoping the employees will provide that information by the middle of this month, and it’s including both physical retail store employees and corporate employees.

Apple says it’s about creating a safe work environment, while also trying to keep employees and families healthy.”

Per the original report:

It is possible your vaccination status may be used in an identifiable manner, along with other information about your general work environment such as your building location, if we determine or, if it is required that, this information is necessary in order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment.

Apple will use the responses it receives to continue to adapt to the situation at hand. With these responses, Apple will alter protocols moving forward. Apple has been asking employees in California already, as well as Washington and New Jersey per local regulations. So Apple is expanding that effort to all employees in the U.S. Vaccine status data is being kept confidential for now.

Up to this point, Apple has done just about everything except mandate vaccinations for its employees. At the end of August, for instance, Apple launched its largest internal campaign to date to try and get more employees vaccinated. Apple has also delayed the return to in-person work for its corporate headquarters until early 2022 as well.

There’s no direct indication Apple is going to move to mandate vaccines anytime soon, but that could change in the future.