Google and Facebook have said its employees may work from home till 2021 as part of their response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The tech giants had announced plans to reopen their offices soon but are allowing more home working flexibility.
Google initially said it would keep its work-from-home policy until June 1st, but now, it is allowing more home working flexibility by extending it for seven more months.
Google chief executive Sundar Pichai stated that employees who need to return to the office will start being able to do so from July with enhanced safety measures in place.
According to the company, any return to offices was expected to be incremental and staggered.
This extension coincides with Facebook’s announcement of a work-from-home policy for its employees that extends till the end of the year.
A spokesperson said;
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.
As you can imagine this is an evolving situation as employees and their families make important decisions re: return to work.
The spokesperson added that Facebook is still determining which employees will be asked to resume.
Facebook also said it would reopen its offices on July 6th as coronavirus lockdowns are gradually lifted but let people work from home if they prefer until 2021.
