Google to reopen offices with 10% staff on July 6, will increase numbers gradually

Google employees who are working from home have been directed to join offices on July 6, considering the external conditions. Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google, has sent an email where he mentioned that the Company will start reopening its offices with only 10 per cent employees in the initial phase.

The tech giant will gradually increase the number of employees to 30 per cent by September, 2020.

“Beginning July 6, assuming external conditions allow, we will start to open more buildings in more cities … this will give Googlers, who need to come back to the office, the opportunity to return on a limited, rotational basis,” Pichai told employees in the e-mail.

The company will approach the return to office mode with a “gradual, phased approach, taking both team and individual needs and preferences into account”, said Mr Pichai.

As the Alphabet-owned firm will only need limited staff/roles back in the office this calendar year, Pichai mentioned that returning to office will be voluntary until the end of 2020.

Not only is the tech giant still encouraging its employees to continue to work from home, but will also give them $1000 to purchase office equipment and furniture, such as standing desks and ergonomic chairs.

“We are also investing more in your work-from-home set-up to make sure you have what you need to be productive and comfortable,” Pichai said in the email.

Google’s return to work strategy comes at a time when other tech giants, such as Facebook, Apple and Twitter are weighing various options to manage their physical offices during the coronavirus crisis.

On one hand, Facebook and Twitter have already told employees to work from home permanently, if they want to, Apple, on the other hand is bringing its staff back to stores in different phases, after it shut down its retail operations amid the outbreak.

Google began shutting its offices in the first week of March to curb the spread of the coronavirus. America has seen more than 30 million US jobs affected at least temporarily, amid shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Google is currently investing heavily in its physical space expansions at various sites including San Jose, New York and at the Company’s sprawling headquarters in Mountain View.

“Our campuses are designed to enable collaboration and community. In fact, some of our greatest innovations were the result of chance encounters in the office and it’s clear this is something many of us don’t want to lose,” Pichai said.