Although the covid-19 pandemic is still furious all over the world, big tech companies seem to be excited about the recent developments over the past months and are taking the first steps to bring their employees back to the office.
This week, Uber and Facebook announced schedules for a small percentage of their workforce to return to some of the company’s facilities. Uber will reopen its offices in Mission Bay in San Francisco on Monday with 20% occupancy, while Facebook plans to reopen some offices in the Bay Area on an ongoing basis in early May with up to 10% of the maximum seating capacity. Microsoft it will also open its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, and nearby campuses, on a limited basis, on Monday.
The return to the office will be voluntary on Uber, Facebook and Microsoft at the moment.
Uber spokeswoman Lois Van Der Laan told Gizmodo on Saturday that as cities carefully return to a new normal, so will Uber. The return to the office will be made on a voluntary basis, she said, adding that Uber’s work from the domestic police has been extended until September 13.
Van Der Lann said the company’s reopening protocols are in line with public health guidelines.
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“Our office reopening protocols meet (or exceed) global, national and local public health guidelines and are developed in partnership with public health experts and health and safety partners,” she said by email. “Employees returning to the workplace need to take virtual training, sign a COVID-19 Precautions and Recognition form and take a daily health check (including temperature check) at home to qualify for the return.”
Other measures in force include safety signs, social distance posters, six feet (about two meters) of space between tables and mandatory facial coverings during the initial reopening phase. Uber is also stepping up its office cleaning services and says employees with symptoms, or who have sick family members, should stay home. When it comes to vaccines, Uber told Gizmodo that they will not be mandatory at this stage of reopening.
Facebook told Gizmodo on Saturday that it was moving from a single global job from the start date to a site-to-site approach. The company said that employees have the option of working from home until July 2 and that after that date, any employee other than a full-time remote worker can continue working from home until one month after the office reopens at 50 % capacity.
According to Facebook, the latest data suggests that the sooner the company can open its largest sites with 50% capacity, it will be after September 7.
“The health and safety of our employees and neighbors in the community is our highest priority and we are taking a measured approach to reopening offices,” Facebook spokeswoman Chloe Meyere told Gizmodo. “When we return to the office, we have a series of security protocols in place, including physical distance and masks necessary at all times in the office and, whenever possible, weekly testing requirements for anyone working on the premises. We will continue to work with experts to ensure that our plans to return to the office prioritize the health and safety of everyone. ”
Many of Facebook’s offices, depending on where they are located, are in a different phase of reopening. To determine how and when to reopen, the company primarily reviews local health data, specifically local case rates, vaccination rates and local access to tests and therapy, among other factors.
In terms of vaccination, Facebook will not require employees to have the vaccine to return to the office at this time. The company says the vaccine is safe and encourages employees to take it whenever they become eligible. Recently launched a tool to help people find out where and when they can be vaccinated.
Microsoft’s executive vice president, Kurt DelBene, said in a blog post that Microsoft workplaces in 21 countries have been able to accommodate additional employees on its premises. The employees who work in these units represent about 20% of the company’s global workforce. In the future, the company will focus on a hybrid workplace model.
In terms of his office in Redmond, DelBene said that Microsoft had been monitoring local health data for months and determined that the office could safely accommodate more employees on site, while complying with Washington state capacity limits.
“As we observe progress against the virus in the region and continue to evaluate our guidance, employees who work at Redmond workplaces or nearby campuses have the option to return to these facilities or continue to work remotely, and also have the flexibility to do so. a mixture of both, ”wrote DelBene.
He said that Microsoft assessed all of its workplaces to understand what adjustments were needed to allow for social distance and to meet local health standards. On-site employees will receive supplies such as disinfectant wipes and facial coverings. Microsoft has also limited capacity in conference rooms, implemented service strategies and placed signs in common areas to ensure social distance, among other measures.
Gizmodo contacted Microsoft on Saturday to comment on whether vaccines will be needed for its employees who are returning to the office, but we have had no response at the time of publication. We will make sure to update this blog if we do.
With regard to other major technology companies, The Verge reported that Google’s plans to return to the office are uncertain at the moment. In 2020, Said Google would allow its employees to work from home until September this year. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in December that it seemed likely that most teams would not be back in the office before June 2021, for Bloomberg. Twitter and Spotify, meanwhile, are allowing employees to work from home permanently, if they wish.