Google and Amazon Tell Staff to Get Back in the Office

Google has told staff they must get formal permission to work remotely for more than 14 days a year after the pandemic ends, in a sign that major employers are losing faith in the policy.

The company was one of the first firms to send staff home when the crisis hit last year. Google now wants its 200,000 global employees back at their desks for an initial minimum of three days a week by September 1. Google is advising employees to get vaccinated, but said this will not be mandatory.

The policy comes amid growing debate about whether the traditional office is still needed after millions of people worked from their spare rooms and studies without major disruption.

Earlier this week, PwC told staff they will be free to split their time between work and home in future, and major banks such as Lloyds and HSBC have slashed office space in anticipation of long-term changes.

Amazon, another of the world’s largest employers, told its white-collar workers this week that they will be back at their desks after the summer, having said they can work from home until July.

Rental prices in San Francisco – home to many large technology companies which have championed remote working – plummeted roughly 24pc last year. A flurry of younger workers left the city for cheaper or more exotic places from where they could use a laptop to work.

Vocabulary:

formal permission – official, written, or authoritative approval given by an individual or organization to do something, “You must get formal permission from the city council before building a new garage.”

remotely – from a distance; in a way that involves working or studying from home or another location rather than traveling to a central office or school, “Many programmers prefer to work remotely so they can avoid the stress of daily traffic.”

losing faith in – (idiom) starting to doubt, distrust, or stop believing in the effectiveness, honesty, or value of someone or something, “Consumers are slowly losing faith in the brand after several of its new products broke easily.”

crisis – a time of intense difficulty, trouble, danger, or a sudden emergency that requires immediate attention, “The hospital staff worked through the night to handle the unexpected medical crisis.”

mandatory – required by law, a rule, or an official mandate; completely compulsory and not optional, “It is mandatory for all passengers to wear a seatbelt while the vehicle is moving.”

amid – in the middle of, surrounded by, or happening at the same time as a particular event, situation, or noise, “The tech company launched its new smartphone amid a lot of excitement and media attention.”

traditional office – a classic, physical corporate workplace where employees commute daily to work at fixed desks during standard business hours, “He left his corporate job at a traditional office to start a flexible freelance business from his home laptop.”

disruption – an unexpected interruption, obstacle, or disturbance that stops a process, system, or event from continuing normally, “The heavy snowstorm caused a massive disruption to train and bus schedules across the state.”

slashed – greatly, drastically, or aggressively reduced an amount, price, size, or budget in a very short amount of time, “The clothing store slashed its prices by fifty percent for the major holiday weekend sale.”

in anticipation of – (collocation) in preparation for or expectation of something that you believe is going to happen very soon, “She bought a large umbrella in anticipation of the heavy rain forecast for this afternoon.”

white-collar workers – professional, salaried employees who work in offices, desks, management, or administrative roles rather than doing manual labor, “The investment bank employs thousands of white-collar workers at its corporate headquarters.”

championed – fiercely supported, defended, or promoted a specific cause, idea, or policy to help it succeed, “The city mayor championed the creation of new public parks and bike lanes throughout downtown.”

plummeted – dropped, fell, or decreased very rapidly and sharply from a high position or level, “Winter temperatures plummeted below freezing as soon as the sun went down.”

flurry – a sudden, brief period of intense activity, movement, excitement, or communication, “There was a flurry of urgent phone calls in the office right after the big merger was announced.”

exotic – unusual, exciting, and highly interesting because it comes from or is characteristic of a distant, foreign country or culture, “They saved their money for five years to take a dream vacation to an exotic tropical island.”