Google adds company holiday for coronavirus work-from-home burnout
Majority of Google employees are expected to work from home through end of 2020.
Google G Suite Vice President and General Manager Javier Soltero says he has seen ‘incredible’ growth in Google Meet use in last three months as more people work from home.
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Alphabet-owned Google said Friday that employees should take the day off on May 22 to recover from work-from-home burnout during the coronavirus pandemic.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the company holiday in a memo to staffers Thursday, according to multiple reports. The pandemic has prompted Google and several other companies to enact remote work policies to protect workers and comply with social distancing protocols.
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Google did not immediately return a request for comment.
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The majority of Google employees are expected to work from home through the end of 2020, Pichai said at an all-hands meeting Thursday, according to The Information. Workers who need to return to the office will be able to do so as of June while adhering to enhanced safety measures.
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The updated guidance marked an extension of Google’s existing remote work schedule. Employees were originally told the work-from-home policy would remain in place until at least June 1.
Google enacted several cost-cutting measures after the pandemic forced much of the U.S. economy to shut down in mid-March. The tech giant cut its marketing budget and enacted a hiring freeze.
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Several companies in the U.S. tech sector have extended work-from-home for employees in recent days. Like Google, Facebook said this week that employees could work from home through the end of the year.
Amazon said employees who are able to work from home can do so through Oct. 2, while Microsoft said working from home will remain optional through October.