As it prepares to recall employees to the office, Google is relaxing some COVID-19 measures and bringing perks back to its Bay Area headquarters.
In an email to San Francisco-area employees this week, Google Real Estate and Workplace Services VP David Radcliffe said the company is loosening rules regarding social distancing, masks, testing and vaccines, CNBC reports.
Nearly two years since Google and other tech companies first sent their employees home at the beginning of the pandemic, the tech giant is preparing to require most employees to come into physical offices at least three days a week for a "hybrid" work schedule. The return to the office has been delayed several times amid COVID variant surges and the latest plans could change if another surge occurs.
CNBC reports that a Google spokesperson told the news outlet that the company will not require employees be vaccinated as a condition of employment in the United States.
Radcliffe's memo said the company's Bay Area offices are dropping the testing requirement that went into effect in January, but also stated that unvaccinated employees will still need to follow additional protocols, including testing and wearing a mask.
Google is also lifting its mask mandate for vaccinated employees in most areas, noting that few cities still require them, and dropping its social distancing requirement.
Company spokeswoman Lora Lee Erickson told CNBC that Google is no longer requiring COVID vaccines as a condition for employment for U.S. employees. In November, the company reportedly threatened employees with loss of pay and eventual loss of employment if they did not comply with its vaccine policies.
Erickson declined to provide the reason for the policy reversal.
Known for attracting top talent with fun office perks, Google is bringing back perks such as massages and access to informal spaces within the office, Radcliffe said, after being discontinued during the pandemic.
Amenities like fitness centers will no longer require an appointment; full shuttle service will be restored; more places to eat free breakfast and lunch will be added; and "all informal spaces" such as lounges, game rooms, music rooms and massage chairs will be opened, the memo said.
"We're at the beginning of a journey, so the office experience will feel pretty similar to what it was like pre-COVID," Radcliffe told CNBC. "We're designing and piloting options to support new ways of working together and we'll gather insights, data and feedback to help us learn as we go."
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