Facebook, Google allow employees to work remotely until year end

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook and Google said it would allow its workers who are able to work remotely to do so until the end of the year as the coronavirus pandemic forces governments to extend stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the disease.

Google originally said it would keep its work from home policy until 1st June, but is extending it for seven more months. Facebook said it would reopen its offices on 6th July as coronavirus lockdowns are gradually lifted.

Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said that employees who need to return to the office will start being able to do so from July with enhanced safety measures in place. The majority of employees who can carry out their jobs from home will be able to do so until the end of the year, Pichai added.

The announcement coincides with Facebook’s as more companies start rolling out their back-to-work strategies. “Facebook has taken the next step in its return to work philosophy. Today, we announced anyone who can do their work remotely can choose to do so through the end of the year,” a spokesman said. “As you can imagine this is an evolving situation as employees and their families make important decisions to return to work.”

Facebook is still determining which employees will be asked to come in, the spokeswoman added. The social media platform was among the first tech firms to ask its employees to begin working remotely.

Facebook gave employees $1,000 (£807) bonuses for their work-from-home and childcare costs. The trend for working from home may suit some companies while they redesign their office spaces to cater to new social distancing guidelines.

Some employees are nervous about returning to work in the middle of a global pandemic. The virus, which has infected more than 3.8 million people globally so far, has forced strict lockdowns in most countries and changed the way businesses function, with work from home emerging as the new norm.