Facebook and Google Will Let Employees Work From Home Until End of Year
Those who need to return to the office can do so starting in July.
As tech giants Facebook and Google prepare to reopen their offices, they have announced that the majority of employees who can carry out their jobs from home will be able to do so until the end of the year. Google is extending its work from home policy for seven more months from June 1, while Facebook said it will reopen its offices — after considering factors like public health data and government guidances — on July 6 when COVID-19 lockdown measures are gradually lifted.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that employees who need to return to the office will be able to do so starting in July, with enhanced safety measures in place. Facebook is still determining which employees will be asked to come in. “As you can imagine this is an evolving situation as employees and their families make important decisions re: return to work,” a Facebook spokesman said.
Back in April, Mark Zuckerberg explained that Facebook’s employees would be among the last to return back to office, noting the return would have to be staggered and that “helping the rest of our community and local economy to get back up and running first” is the priority. The company was one of the first tech firms to asks its employees to begin working remotely.
With work from home policies continuing to be extended, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told Fortune that the coronavirus pandemic is creating a “double double shift” for female employees who are now also responsible for homeschooling kids and caring for sick or elderly relatives. She said Facebook has given employees approximately $1,000 USD bonuses for their work from home and childcare costs, urging other employers to “relieve this stress.”
In other news, ride-hailing service Lyft has reported significant losses in sales volume due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
