Google delays its workers’ return to office yet again
On January 10th, Google employees in the United States will no longer be compelled to return to their in-office jobs. According to CNBC, Google’s security vice president Chris Rackow informed staff via email that the business will wait until the new year to reassess the situation and determine when it is safe to return to the workplace environment.
The IT giant had originally planned to deploy a hybrid work week starting on October 18th, but had to postpone the change until January of the following year due to scheduling conflicts. It is possible that everything will now depend on each of its offices.
Neither Rackow nor the corporation provided a rationale for their decision in their email, and neither did they mention the recently discovered Omicron COVID-19 variation. With regard to Omicron, there is a great deal of uncertainty, and experts are still investigating if it is more transmissible than prior versions, as well as whether it is more resistant to current vaccines.
But according to reports, he has stated that Google will let various departments to determine whether it is safe for employees to return to the workplace. In order to better analyze risk levels, the business will establish Local Incident Response Teams. However, the bottom line is that Google employees may not be compelled to adhere to a hybrid working schedule at the same time.
Despite the cancellation of its January 10th goal date, Google is still urging staff to work in the office “when conditions allow, to reconnect with colleagues in person, and to begin rebuilding the muscle memory of being in [one] on a more regular basis,” according to the company.
Almost all of Google’s operations in the United States have already reopened, with 40 percent of the company’s employees in the country having returned. Workers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa have also had their return to face-to-face work put on hold as a result of the company’s international expansion.