Wozniak 'Frightened' by News of Steve Jobs Medical Leave

News of Steve Jobs taking a second medical leave reportedly struck Apple Co-Founder, Steve Wozniak, with fear regarding his friend’s condition.

On Monday, January 17, Steve Jobs sent an email to all Apple employees notifying them that the company’s board of directors had granted him a medical leave of absence, in order to deal with some health problems.

"I haven't contacted Jobs yet," Wozniak wrote CNET in an e-mail. "The news actually frightened me because I did not expect it.”

Steve Wozniak is one of the co-founders of Apple Computer, and a good friend of Steve Jobs, alongside whom he created and sold the first commercially successful personal computer - the Apple I.

Woz later cast a more positive look on the matter, concluding that Jobs may be reducing his day-to-day involvement

“If Steve is tired and wants a bit more normal life, more power to him," he said.

As previously reported by Softpedia, the medical leave Steve Jobs took in 2008 was for a determined period of time, whereas this time the leave is indefinite.

In his email sent out to employees this week (which was also published on the company’s PR section of Apple.com), the CEO specifically asked to be granted some privacy, not only for himself, but for his family as well.

Responding to the news, the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) released a statement this week, urging Apple shareholders to adopt a proposal requiring Apple to publicize a CEO succession plan.

Shareholders are encouraged to review and consider adopting the group's proposal at a scheduled shareholders' meeting on February 23rd.

LIUNA believes that this proposal would not only benefit its members’ retirement savings, but also would give reassurance to other Apple shareholders and help the company.