Even as some tech companies are telling employees they’ll be ready to work from home “forever,” others are already getting to have some of their workforces back on site as early as this summer.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees on Tuesday that the corporate plans to reopen “more buildings in additional cities” starting July 6, but didn’t specify which. Employees at those locations are going to be ready to return to the office, but each are going to be limited to about 10% building occupancy initially , with plans to grow to 30% capacity by September.
“We’ll have rigorous health and safety measures in situ to make sure social distancing and sanitization guidelines are followed,” Pichai wrote during a blog post, “so the office will look and feel different than once you left. Our goal is to be fair within the way we allocate time within the office, while limiting the amount of individuals who are available , according to safety protocols.”
The decision to start out reopening Google’s offices marks a contrast with Twitter and Facebook, both of which have announced plans to support remote work on a permanent basis going forward. Coinbase, the cryptocurrency startup valued at $8 billion, also said last week that it’ll be a remote-first company following the pandemic.
Pichai’s note to employees highlights the novel changes large tech companies must now confront after years of pushing for sprawling campuses with lavish perks. Pichai hinted that returning workers can expect the “office will look and feel different than once you left.” Some experts have predicted a return to more personal, private working spaces, during a shift faraway from the open-plan offices popularized by Silicon Valley .
Like other large tech companies, Google has spent billions acquiring office space to support its surging headcount, including paying $2.4 billion to require over ny City’s Chelsea Market in 2018.
Google had previously said that those performing from home thanks to the pandemic could still do so through the top of the year if they chose. Pichai reiterated that option on Tuesday, adding that workers would each receive a $1,000 allowance in order that they’ll expense “equipment and office furniture” necessary for performing from home.
