Google will allow employees to work from home until at least the beginning of next summer.
The technology company, which had previously planned on allowing its workers to stay remote through the calendar year, extended that window to July 1, 2021, CNN reported on Monday.
“To give employees the ability to plan ahead, we’ll be 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 said in a memo sent to staff. “I hope this will offer the flexibility you need to balance work with taking care of yourselves and your loved ones over the next 12 months.”
Pichai noted that the company has reopened 42 offices around the world.
It remains unclear whether Google will end up being the outlier or the trendsetter as other companies grapple with the question of keeping office attendance optional for a period of time extending into the new year.
