Google pushes back mandatory return to office into 2022

Google announced Tuesday that it is pushing back its mandatory return to office date until Jan. 10 amid a surge in coronavirus cases driven by the delta variant.

Employees are allowed to return to offices voluntarily now if they are vaccinated. 

“First, as offices continue to reopen, we hope to see more teams coming together where possible, whether it be for regular team meetings, brainstorming sessions around a whiteboard, or outdoor socials,” Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in an all-staff email later posted as a blog.

The Silicon Valley giant had previously targeted Oct. 18 as the return date.

Different offices will have the option to choose when to end voluntary work from home at any date after Jan. 10. Workers will be given a 30-day heads up before having to return to the office.

“The road ahead may be a little longer and bumpier than we hoped, yet I remain optimistic that we will get through it together,” Pichai wrote. 

Several other major tech companies, including Facebook and Apple, have also pushed their return dates into January.