Google is postponing its return to office date by three months to January 10 in a decision that reflects the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus.
Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, informed employees of the plans in an email on Tuesday. He said that after January 10, offices in various countries and locations will determine when to return based on local conditions and that staff will be notified 30 days in advance.
Like other companies, Google has repeatedly postponed the timing of employees’ return to their offices. Last month, Google postponed its return date from September to October, announcing that employees who have returned to the company’s offices will need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
When Google employees return to the office in January, it will be nearly two years since the company asked employees to work from home in the early days of the pandemic. Working longer from home has forced the company to rethink the future of its workplace and find the best way to combine remote working with face-to-face collaboration.