Big Tech calls employees back to their workstations

As the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is getting abated, many Big Tech firms are phasing out ‘work-from-home’ policies for their employees. While IT service providers in India are intimating their employees to come back to offices, several big technology companies in Silicon Valley are implementing a phased return to the office and is encouraging employees to adopt the hybrid model of work (attend office for one or two days in a week).

The ‘Back-to-Office’ process was kicked off by Google, which has asked its employees at the Bay Area and several other US locations to report back to work beginning with the week of April 4. However, the company is keen to adopt the hybrid work policy in the initial phase. 

In an internal communication to its employees, Google stated, “Our hybrid model balances the best of being together in person and being anywhere — where teams can intentionally come together to collaborate and connect in the office, and spend the other days working from wherever best suits their needs.”  

After Google, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has also reached out to its employees to get back to the office by March 15. In an internal mail to its employees, he stated that the company reopening plans of all its offices and business travel globally as Covid declines. 

“As we open back up, our approach remains the same. Wherever you feel most productive and creative is where you will work and that includes working from home full-time forever. Office every day? That works too. Some days in the office, some days from home? Of course. That’s actually how most of you feel,” Agrawal wrote in a note to employees, which was also posted on Twitter. 

Here’s the announcement to the company about our approach and commitment to truly flexible work. pic.twitter.com/XPl86HuQqG

— Parag Agrawal (@paraga) March 3, 2022

Microsoft Corporation has announced that its workers will be coming back to the office, albeit with a hybrid work model, effective February 28.  

“Based on this approach and improving local health metrics, our Washington state work sites will move to our sixth and final stage of the hybrid workplace model, effective Feb. 28, 2022. From this date, employees will have 30 days to make adjustments to their routines and adopt the working preferences they’ve agreed upon with their managers, “Chris Capossela - Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, in an official blogsite.