[US] Google employees will continue to work remotely until at least July 2021

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Google intends to continue remote working for 200,000 of its full-time and contract employees until July 2021 at a minimum. Making Google the first tech firm to extend remote working into the middle of next year, though other companies in the sector have announced long-term plans to maintain working from home arrangements made for workers when COVID-19 restrictions began.

In its story, The Wall Street Journal says Sundar Pichai - the CEO of Alphabet, Google’s parent company - made the decision after a meeting with top company executives last week. A spokesperson for Google told The Verge that Mr Pichai sent an email to employees this morning announcing the time frame, after a previous announcement about a flexible limited reopening which came out in May. The Verge has further details of the email and of the motivation behind the new long-term plan.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Google intends to continue remote working for 200,000 of its full-time and contract employees until July 2021 at a minimum. Making Google the first tech firm to extend remote working into the middle of next year, though other companies in the sector have announced long-term plans to maintain working from home arrangements made for workers when COVID-19 restrictions began.

In its story, The Wall Street Journal says Sundar Pichai - the CEO of Alphabet, Google’s parent company - made the decision after a meeting with top company executives last week. A spokesperson for Google told The Verge that Mr Pichai sent an email to employees this morning announcing the time frame, after a previous announcement about a flexible limited reopening which came out in May. The Verge has further details of the email and of the motivation behind the new long-term plan.