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As Google prepares to bring workers back to their offices, the company is relaxing some of its Covid-19 workplace policies, including a rule that requires US employees to be vaccinated. However, workers will still have to be vaccinated if they plan to use the company’s offices.
In an email to San Francisco Bay Area employees last week, Google said it was easing some of its pandemic restrictions. It will no longer require employees to be tested weekly to enter US offices. Also, staff will not be required to wear masks in the office, except in Santa Clara County, which is home to Google’s main Mountain View headquarters.
Google also said it plans to restore many of its famous office amenities, such as fitness centers, cafeterias, massage services, and commuter services. CNBC reported Change in policies before.
“Based on current conditions in the Bay Area, we are pleased that our employees who choose to come now have access to more on-site space and services,” Google said in a statement.
Google spokesperson Lora Lee Erickson said the company also removed the requirement for US employees to provide proof of vaccination status or apply for a medical or religious exemption.
Last year, Google said that employees who don’t do so will be put on administrative leave and eventually fired. Ms. Erickson did not explain why the company changed its position.
Like many companies, Google has had to adapt its policies to the frequently changing circumstances of the pandemic. It has repeatedly delayed plans for when it will ask employees to start working on a hybrid schedule that mixes remote work and in-office time.
Google’s offices are an important component of its work culture, and the company, like other tech companies, has resisted going away altogether.
Google has repeatedly said that instead of a global mandate, it will allow different regions to determine when workers arrive several times a week. Google said it is still assessing the right time to begin the hybrid work program in the United States and has not set a date for employees to return to the office.
While returning to the office is still optional, Google said about 30 percent of Bay Area employees came to the office in the last week.
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