Apple CEO John Ternus gives employees three extra days off for Thanksgiving

Apple CEO John Ternus is continuing a long-running company tradition by giving employees three additional days off around Thanksgiving in recognition of their work throughout the year.

In an internal memo to employees seen by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Ternus said most U.S. teams will receive Monday through Wednesday before Thanksgiving off, extending the usual Thursday and Friday holiday into a full week away from work for many employees.

Retail and AppleCare employees, as well as Apple’s international teams, will instead be able to take three additional days off at a later date.

Ternus told employees that he had recently been in New York watching customers experience Apple’s latest products, including the newest iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods models, while noting that iPhone Duo has yet to reach stores.

The CEO said Apple’s recent launches were made possible by teams across the company working toward the same goal, adding that employees deserved a break following a year filled with major milestones.

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26 this year, meaning most U.S.-based corporate employees will effectively be away from work from Monday, November 23 through Friday, November 27.

The arrangement does not mean Apple Stores will close for the entire week. Retail and AppleCare teams, which continue serving customers during the period surrounding Thanksgiving and Black Friday, will receive their additional time off later instead.

International employees will also receive three extra days at another time, since Thanksgiving is a U.S. holiday.

The move continues a tradition established under Apple’s previous leadership. Tim Cook similarly awarded employees additional Thanksgiving leave during his time as CEO, including shortly after taking over from Steve Jobs in 2011.

Ternus officially became Apple CEO on September 1, succeeding Cook after 15 years at the top of the company. Cook moved into the role of executive chairman as part of Apple’s leadership transition.

The Thanksgiving message is one of Ternus’s first company-wide gestures since taking over and suggests that, despite the leadership change, some of the employee traditions established during the Cook era will continue.