Google will let employees work from home until July 2021, once again pushing back the re-opening of its offices as the coronavirus continues to rage in many parts of the U.S.
The company had previously said workers could stay home until the end of this year. The change was made to help them plan ahead and applies worldwide, chief executive officer Sundar Pichai wrote in an email sent to employees on Monday.
Many school districts have said they won’t open in time for the new academic year, leaving parents facing the prospect of managing their kids while also trying to work. “I hope this will offer the flexibility you need to balance work with taking care of yourselves and your loved ones over the next 12 months,” Pichai wrote.
With Covid-19 cases surging, many U.S. companies are revising their plans to reopen offices. Google was one of the first major corporations to send employees home when the coronavirus began spreading through the country in March. Other major tech companies, including Facebook and Amazon have also said corporate employees can stay home until at least the beginning of 2021.
The Wall Street Journal reported Google’s work-from-home extension earlier.
