Google announced on Wednesday that employees at its offices in the Bay Area and several other locations in the United States will officially return to the office on April 4. From that date, the company will begin its previously announced hybrid work approach, which expects most employees to be in the office approximately three days a week.
In December, Google postponed the planned return to the office on January 10 until sometime in 2022, and now we know when that return will be. The company will use the month of March to help move to the new hybrid model, according to Google spokeswoman Laura Lee Erickson.
Depending on their job, some employees may need to be on site more than three days a week. Workers who want more time before returning to the office may request an extension. And some employees will be out full-time – nearly 14,000 Google employees worldwide have moved to a new location or moved to a completely remote job after the company launched a new location tool in June, Erickson said.
Anyone who visits a Google site will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have approved accommodation. Unvaccinated staff with approved accommodation will need to be tested regularly and wear a mask. However, U.S.-based remote employees who do not visit Google’s office are not required to be vaccinated.