Google and Facebook have said that they will allow all employees to work from home until at least the end of the year if their personal situation merits it. The Information reported Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s directive from an all-hands meeting on Thursday while CNBC first reported Facebook would extend its working from home timeline.
It would have been an unprecedented move if it were not for the exceptional circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic. Both companies said their offices would open in July for those whose physical presence was necessary, but with more safety measures in place.
The extension of working from home is firstly to benefit employees but has also served as a barometer for the rest of the industry. Back in March, Facebook was one of the first household name tech companies to allow working from home, and other firms followed suit. It’s indicative of how much the pandemic has and will continue to change how many industries operate and think about workers’ rights.
Luckily for Google and Facebook though, much of its work is virtual and can be done remotely. This is not the case for many people worldwide whose industries require that they can return to their physical workplace.
Author: Henry Burrell, Phones Editor
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.