Photo by Greg Bulla
April 4 will mark a new start for Google as it mandates employees to report three days per week in a few of its US, UK, and Asia Pacific offices, its first move to conclude policies that enabled remote work due to COVID-19 concerns.
On Wednesday, an internal email ordered workers in the San Francisco Bay Area that “advances in prevention and treatment, the steady decline in cases we continue to see and the improved safety measures we have implemented … now mean we can officially begin the transition to the hybrid workweek.”
Google is among many technology and finance firms that have started ordering a comeback to office. Although a few big companies have accepted the set-up of voluntary work-from-home policies permanently, several others, such as Google, are certain that it is most fitting to order in-person interactivity between co-workers.
The technology giant looks forward to the majority of workers being in offices approximately three days per week, with a few teams and role variances.
An email from the vice president of global benefits at Google, John Casey, says that anyone who comes to the office should be fully vaccinated from COVID-19 or possess a verified exemption. Unvaccinated employees with no exemption will receive alternatives: seek for an exemption or put in an application for permanent remote work.
According to Casey, fully vaccinated employees will not be required to wear masks in Bay Area offices.
Google didn’t give further information on which other locations will return to normal on April 4, leaving employees in those headquarters awaiting formal announcements.
Google continued to say that workers not ready to come back on April 4 can request a remote-work extension.
The multinational technology company has consented to at least 14,000 workers worldwide to move over to a new location or go completely remote since last June, said Casey. However, approximately 15% who applied have been rejected, he added.
Google mainly has brought back office perks like free meals, massages, and transit. However, though business guests and meetings are allowed, workers can still not bring families or children to dine or visit them.
