The new office return date for some big companies? Try 2022

January is shaping up as the new September for many major U.S. companies to summon workers back to long-deserted offices as the COVID-19 Delta variant trips up employers eager to normalize their operations.

Apple is the latest large employer to delay a planned return for workers to its corporate offices until 2022 at the earliest because of the latest rise in COVID-19 cases, according to reports. The iPhone maker told employees in a memo that a return would not take place until at least January, Bloomberg reported.  This is the second time the technology giant has moved back its timeline for in-person work, after initially delaying a planned September return until October. CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that "the road to recovery will be a winding one" on a conference call this month.