Google Employees In California To Go Back To Office Mid-July

Tech giant Google is all set to reopen its California offices by mid-July on a voluntary basis, ahead of the anticipated full return of employees in September.

A spokesperson for the company said its local offices in Mountain View and Redwood City would "welcome back workers on a voluntary basis" and those "permanently assigned to a California office have the option to return for the first time since the pandemic began," reports CBS San Francisco.

While the Bay Area offices will reopen on July 12, the company’s Southern California offices, which include Los Angeles, Irvine, and San Diego, will reopen in two waves on July 13 and July 27.

According to the spokesperson, the company has shared the plans with both California Google office workers and its extended workforce members for the July reopening.

The company also announced protocols for the anticipated return, which includes vaccination verification and testing requirements. About 50 percent of people have been vaccinated in California.

"The protocols are aimed at prioritizing the health and safety of all Google workers," the spokesperson said. However, the new measures won’t apply to offices outside the U.S.

Workers who are fully vaccinated and provide proof for the same won't be required to wear a mask in the office, in accordance with California regulations.

Those who are either unvaccinated or do not want to disclose vaccination status will have to wear masks onsite and undergo weekly COVID-19 tests. They can use the company's free testing services and a vaccine navigation hotline.

The offices won't have capacity limits or require social distancing, the statement said. The company also plans to bring back its usual services of free food and transportation.

Last month, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said he expected 60% of the company's employees to return to their pre-pandemic offices a few days a week. Half of the remaining employees would move to a different office and the the other half will work from home, he then said. Google employs roughly 140,000 people around the world.

While Google relaxed its stricter stance wherein employees were expected to report to work in person at least thrice a week, companies like Facebook are open to employees working from home if their jobs can be done remotely.

However, many like JP Morgan Chase are insisting employees return to the office. Signed by JPMorgan Chase’s chief executive Jamie Dimon, the company sent a memo saying all employees needed to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status by June 30, and they should return to office by July 6.

The employees of Apple too aren't too happy about the new policy that requires them to return to the office three days a week from September.