Slashdot: Google Delays Mandatory Office Return To 2022 on Covid Surge

Google Delays Mandatory Office Return To 2022 on Covid Surge
Published on August 31, 2021 at 10:56PM
Google pushed back the date when its employees must return to the office until after Jan. 10, citing uncertainty related to the pandemic amid a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in various countries around the world. From a report: It will be optional for Google's staffers to work on campus until at least Jan. 10, Alphabet Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai wrote Tuesday in a memo to employees. The company will give workers 30 days notice before they're expected to go back to offices, but Pichai didn't specify a date when employees, based in the U.S. or elsewhere, must return. "Beyond January 10, we will enable countries and locations to make determinations on when to end voluntary work-from-home based on local conditions, which vary greatly across our offices," Pichai wrote. Google previously delayed a compulsory office return to Oct. 18. The internet giant has said it will ask employees to work in a "hybrid" model, with about 60% going back to the same offices as before the pandemic. In August, Google approved 85% of employee requests to work remotely or relocate once the company's offices fully reopen.

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