Google Tells Employees to Return to Offices Starting in April

(Bloomberg) -- Alphabet Inc.'s Google is asking employees in the San Francisco Bay Area to work in their offices three days a week starting in April, marking its first return to campuses since the pandemic began.

John Casey, Google's vice president of Global Benefits, shared the news with staff in an email on Wednesday. He said the company made the decision after a “steady decline in cases that we continue to see, and the improved safety measures” at its campus in Mountain View, California, and other neighboring sites.

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Google is one of the largest companies attempting a “hybrid” model of office and remote work. The technology giant has pushed its return date multiple times, most recently postponing a January start due to omicron. 

Google's commitment to office work has frustrated some employees who wanted to move outside of the pricey Bay Area. In his email, Casey wrote that “nearly 14,000” employees globally have moved to a new location or been given approval to work remotely.

“We plan to use March to help folks transition to their new routines and aim to be fully functional in our hybrid working approach (in line with Product Area and function guidelines) by April 4,” Casey said in the email. 

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