Googlers getting ‘official day off’ as limited office reopening plans emerge

Last night, it emerged that most Google employees will be working from home for the rest of the year. While tech companies are well-equipped for remote work, some roles do not translate, and the company is planning to reopen offices with limited capacity. Meanwhile, Googlers will be getting an “official day off” later this month.

According to CNBC, Google (and Alphabet) CEO Sundar Pichai detailed in a memo how locations around the world could start reopening as early as June. Initially, only 10-15% of employees will be present in an office at any one time.

The first Googlers back will be those with jobs that require “special equipment.” For example, Made by Google hardware teams likely fit that description given the need to mockup, handle prototypes, and test.

At the moment, less than 5% of employees around the world are currently in offices, with exceptions made earlier in the year for those “critical to business continuity.” Meanwhile, certain sites in the Asia Pacific region are at 30% capacity.

Pichai recognized how many are “eager to return,” with the CEO himself missing “the experience of having so many of us in the same place.” That said, there may be “moments or occasions where you are able to come into the office” throughout the year.

Overall, he described Google’s return as “slow, deliberate, and incremental.”

Meanwhile, the company announced that Friday, May 22, will be an “official day off” for employees. It will serve as a chance to do “whatever you need to do to prioritize your well-being.” The three-day weekend comes as Pichai spoke to how many employees have “been running hard nonstop for weeks now and may be experiencing some burnout.”