Apple offering paid time off for employees to get COVID-19 vaccine

Apple is offering employees paid time off to encourage its staff to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

As reported by Bloomberg, the company is offering employees who get the vaccine time off for appointments as well as paid sick leave for those who experience side effects. Those with knowledge of the matter say that the company does not, however, have stock of the vaccine itself to distribute to employees who want it.

The new policies line up with the opening up of vaccine eligibility across the United States as more states begin to make vaccines available to more people.

Since the pandemic began to spread last year, Apple has offered paid time off to those with Covid-19 symptoms. Many corporate employees are still working from home, but the company has gradually brought back retail staff as Apple stores across the U.S. have reopened.

In California, where Apple has its main offices and more than 50 stores, people over the age of 16 will be eligible for vaccination on April 15, the state said last week. Many other states are also expanding vaccine eligibility.

Tim Cook has spoken excitedly about the company's eventual return to the office but also said that they have learned a great deal about the benefits of remote work during the pandemic.

"There's no replacement for face-to-face collaboration, but we have also learned a great deal about how we can get our work done outside of the office without sacrificing productivity or results ... When we're on the other side of this pandemic, we will preserve everything that is great about Apple while incorporating the best of our transformations this year."

Apple has made other strides to promote vaccinations. Just recently, Apple Maps was updated to show vaccination locations in the United States.