Google is letting employees remain remote until July 2021.
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the search-engine giant has become the first major U.S. corporation to formalize such an extended timetable. The decision will affect ~200,000 full-time and contract workers across Google parent Alphabet Inc.
“To give employees the ability to plan ahead, we’ll be extending our global voluntary work from home option through June 30, 2021 for roles that don’t need to be in the office,” wrote CEO Sundar Pichai in a memo to employees according to CNN Business, “I hope this will offer the flexibility you need to balance work with taking care of yourselves and your loved ones over the next 12 months.”
NPR reports that when the coronavirus first hit the U.S. this year, tech companies were among the first employers to move to remote work and to cancel big events. Now, several months into the pandemic, some companies are rethinking the way they work over the long term. This adds pressure to other technology giants that have slated staff to return as soon as January, the Wall Street Journal adds. Facebook, Twitter and Square have all said that some employees will be able to work remotely on a permanent basis.
