Advertisement

Updated December 3rd, 2021 at 18:35 IST

Omicron scare: Google's return to work delayed due to fears over new COVID variant

Employees of Google's Alphabet Inc. are informed that their return-to-work plan in January has been postponed due to rising concerns about Omicron.

Reported by: Rohit Ranjan
Omicron Variant
Image: Shutterstock/ AP | Image:self
Advertisement

Employees of Google's Alphabet Inc. have been informed that their return-to-work plan in January has been postponed due to rising concern over the Omicron coronavirus variant and some opposition to company-mandated vaccines, as per the reports of Insider. Earlier, Google announced in August that starting January 10, all the employees would be expected to come office three days a week, putting an end to its voluntary work-from-home policy. Google officials informed employees on Thursday that the deadline will be postponed until a later date.

According to CNBC, hundreds of employees have protested the company's vaccination requirement for those working on government contracts in the United States. Google claims that nearly 40% of U.S. employees have visited an office in the last few weeks, with larger percentages in other countries. During the pandemic, Google was one of the first businesses to ask workers to work from home. It operates in approximately 60 countries and has 85 offices.

People in the computer industry can work from home

Ahmed Banafa, a professor at San Jose State University and a tech specialist, stated that they are dealing with the unknown, which is a challenge, according to ABC7 News. He also said that they don't know what the next option will be but emphasised that the pandemic has demonstrated that people in the computer industry can work from home. 

Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council stated on Google's decision to postpone the return-to-work plan that anything that raises anxiety causes more delay because no one wants to put their staff in danger. However, he also stated that there are a lot of firms who are trying really hard to go back and understand that eventually, the success of the company is going to rely on having people come together in a common physical place, according to ABC7 News. He believes that 2022 will be a year of rapid recovery.

Facebook's current plans for returning to work in January 2022 are still in place

On the other hand, Facebook's current plans for returning to work in January 2022 are still in place, according to ABC7 News. The Omicron variant has made an impact upon its arrival. European Union's public health service stated that Europe has documented 79 cases of the Omicron variant, which was originally discovered in southern Africa last month.

Advertisement

Published December 3rd, 2021 at 18:35 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo