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Work From Home For Rest Of Year? Some Tech Companies Say “Yes”

This article is more than 3 years old.

UPDATED MAY 12, 2020

Will you work from home for the rest of the year? Employees at some major technology companies will.

Here’s what you need to know - and what it might mean for you.

Work From Home

As first reported by The Information, CEO Sundar Pichai said during an all-hands meeting yesterday that Google employees likely will work from home for the remainder of 2020. Employees who need to return to their office can start as early as “June or July,” while the majority of employees can continue to work from home for the remainder of the year. Any employees who return to a Google office may encounter new safety measures and office experience. Google employees began remote work starting in March.

More Tech Companies Extend Work From Home Policies

Google is not the only technology company that extended its work from home policy. Here are several other companies that recently have made announcements about remote work:

Twitter: CEO Jack Dorsey announced that except those required to be physically present in an office, Twitter employees will be able to work from home permanently even after COVID-19.

Amazon: Amazon also extended its work from home policy, offering Amazon employees the option to work from home through at least October.

Facebook: Most Facebook employees will be able to work from home through the end of 2020, according to reporting from CNBC. Most Facebook offices will open July 6. Like Google, Facebook employees began working remotely starting in March.

Microsoft: Microsoft will continue its work from home policy through October. The remote policy began in March.

Slack: Employees can work from home through September.

Zillow: Zillow CEO Rich Barton tweeted that Zillow employees “have the flexibility” to work from home through at least the end of the year.

10 Ways Your Office May Change

Will your employer follow the lead of tech giants like Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft? Will you return to your office in 2021? These innovative market leaders often set the standards for best practices, which may influence how other companies develop their go-forward work from home strategy. When you eventually return to your office, whether it’s in 2020 or 2021, expect several changes. Here are 10 ways your office may change (at least until there is a COVID-19 vaccine):

  1. Temperature checks
  2. Masks
  3. Limited or no open office environment
  4. Staggered arrival time / elevator rides
  5. Fewer in-person client meetings
  6. Reduction or elimination of large group meetings or conferences
  7. Frequent deep cleaning
  8. No buffets or salad bars in the cafeteria
  9. Only certain employees work in an office
  10. No office at all

What is the future of work? Of course, your employer may adopt some, all or none of these measures. The size and geographic location of your company, for example, also may dictate what precautions are necessary. Some employees may be asked to return to an office earlier than others based on your job type and description. Companies will need to undergo a thoughtful, analytical process to determine who will need to return to an office. It’s also possible - if working remotely has been productive at your company - that you don’t return to an office at all. Technology companies have taken the lead in announcing extended work from home policies. It will be interesting to watch how other industries respond. Stay tuned.


More Resources

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