Google has extended employees’ work-from-home alternative into 2022 amid a surge in Covid-19 situations in the US and other territories.
In a letter to staff, Google CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned returning to campuses would stay voluntary across all its territories till January 10.
“I’m happy to say that a large number of offices globally are already open for business, and we are welcoming back tens of thousands of Googlers on a voluntary basis,” Pichai wrote.
“The road ahead may be a little longer and bumpier than we hoped, yet I remain optimistic that we will get through it together.”
Google has also left it to neighborhood offices to make a decision when staff would return to their desks, based on neighborhood situations.
“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.
According to the company’s most current program that was shared publicly, Google had planned for staff to return to offices in September. Pichai also promised a 30-day notice prior to calling staff back to offices, anytime that may well be.
He also announced that Google staff could take an added off day in October and December — reset days — to rest and recharge.
While Pichai did not cite the hugely contagious Delta variant, the newest wave of infections has once again place a spanner in many Big Tech companies’ plans to resume work from workplace. Pichai had, in May, outlined a new hybrid model that would see staff work from the workplace 3 days a week. However, it will take many months for the new policy to come into play for quite a few Google staff.
“The ability to reconnect in person has been re-energizing for many of us, and will make us even more effective in the weeks and months ahead,” Pichai signed off.