Facebook and Google extend telework until the end of the year

The two tech giants have announced plans to reopen their offices but will give flexibility to employees who want it.

Facebook and Google cautiously move on to the next phase of de-escalation. The two technology giants have announced that they will allow employees who wish to continue working from home at least until the end of the year, despite having previously announced their plans to return to jobs.

Initially, Google had announced that it would maintain its work-from-home policy until June 1. The company’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, explained that employees who need to return to the office will start doing so starting in July with reinforced security measures. But that those who can carry out their work from home will be able to continue doing so until the end of the year.

Facebook, for its part, announced that it would reopen its offices on July 6, as coronavirus closings are gradually being lifted. However, specialized portal The Verge has confirmed through a spokesperson that the company will follow in Google’s footsteps and allow most employees to continue to telecommute. The company has explained that they have studied various factors to make the decision, including the information it receives from public health agencies and institutions such as John Hopkins University and the federal recommendations. California is beginning to relax some norms of social distancing in a multi-stage process outlined by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Facebook employees have been working from home since March. Additionally, last month, the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that physical events with more than 50 people are canceled until June 2021, including the Oculus Connect VR conference, which was to take place this fall and will now be a online event. Although some employees’ work must be done in person, Zuckerberg said in April that he did not expect “overall, to have everyone back in the office for some time.”

As of March 31, Facebook had 48,268 employees worldwide while Alphabet, Google’s parent, had 123,048.