Google Extends Work From Home For Employees Till June 2021

NEW DELHI: Tech giant Google said it is extending work from home (WFH) facility for its employees globally, including in India, till June 30 next year.

"To give employees the ability to plan ahead, we are extending our global voluntary work from home option through June 30, 2021 for roles that don''t need to be in the office," Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in an e-mail to staffers on Monday, July 27.

Announcing the decision, Pichai wrote that the mission of Google is to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. He added that the mission is “deeply personal” to him since, as a kid, he always had to wait for every new piece of technology to arrive from someplace else.

“Today, people in India no longer have to wait for technology to come to you. A whole new generation of technologies are happening in India first,” he wrote.

Google has around two lakh employees, including contractors and full-time workers, a news agency reported.

In May, Google had also announced USD 1,000 allowances to cover equipment costs for employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most tech firms have allowed their employees to work from home but are gradually bringing people back to the workplace while following precautions around safety and hygiene. However, many are exploring the option of making WFH a permanent feature.

Twitter previously has said it will allow all employees to continue on remote work indefinitely.