Google’s hybrid model will allow 20% of employees to work remotely

Parent company Alphabet announced a series of changes to its work format

Google CEO Sundar Pichai (Getty, iStock)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai (Getty, iStock)

Google’s future in a post-pandemic world is looking pretty flexible.

Parent company Alphabet announced a series of changes to the company’s work format that will result in 40 percent of its staffers working from new locations, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In a company email, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said about 20 percent of staff will work from home permanently, 20 percent will work out of offices at a new location and 60 percent will work from their current location. Employees can apply for both location change options and will need approval from their managers.

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The announcement makes Google one of several tech companies that will let workers return to the office sooner than later. (iStock, Google)
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The company is also moving to a hybrid workweek, where employees can spend three days per week at the office and two days working from wherever is best for them, the publication reported.

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Another perk: With manager’s approval, staff can work from anywhere they want for four weeks of the year.

Pichai said the changes were an effort to help employees do their best work.

Google is a major occupier and owner of office space. In addition to its sprawling campus in Mountain View, California, the tech giant owns its offices at Chelsea Market and 111 Eighth Avenue and leases other locations in Manhattan.

Other tech companies have adopted flexible work policies for life after the pandemic, such as Salesforce and Microsoft. It’s a contrast from major banks like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, which expect most employees to return to the office.

A recent survey by JLL found that roughly 72 percent of employees do not want to return to the office full time, with the majority preferring a hybrid work-from-home model.

[WSJ] — Cordilia James

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