Google postpones early 2022 return to office, no new date provided

At the end of August, Google delayed its wide-scale office return to early 2022. That is now being pushed back again and a new date will be determined at the start of next year.

According to CNBC, Google sent out an internal email on Thursday that explained how the January 10, 2022. return date is being pushed back. A new date was not provided, with the company deciding to reassess conditions after the holidays.

Once possible, Google is mandating some in-person work because it believes that campuses allow for better collaboration and spontaneity. This will take the form of a “flexible workweek” where three days are spent on-site and the other two can be spent working from home. 

Offices are being modified to accommodate a large number of people:

Teams can reserve collaboration spaces for up to a dozen people, while larger gatherings will take place outdoors. Single desks will also be available with these reconfigured spaces designed to lower the risk of spreading. 

At the moment, employees are able to return to campuses on a voluntary basis, and that was encouraged in today’s email to “reconnect with colleagues in person and start regaining the muscle memory of being in the office more regularly.” CNBC says the memo did not make mention of the Omicron COVID-19 variant. 

So far, 90% of US offices have reopened and nearly 40% of its US employees have returned. 

Last December, Google was targeting September 2021 for large-scale office reopening. That was delayed to mid-October and eventually to January 10.