Google is easing COVID protocols for US office workers and reviving old perks like massages and fitness centers
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- Google had required employees to get vaccinated but dropped the mandate last month, CNBC reported.
- The company is also lifting some safety protocols such as masks for vaccinated employees.
- As return-to-office prep begins, Google is also bringing back perks like massages and fitness centers.
Google is bringing back fun office perks like massage chairs and winnowing its coronavirus-related safety rules as cases drop and the tech giant moves forward with plans to bring most workers back to the offices three days a week, CNBC reported.
The company also told CNBC it dropped its vaccine mandate last month as a condition of employment.
Google first announced a US vaccine mandate for in-office employees last July amid the spread of the Delta variant. The company then told employees — whether in office or remote — to get vaccinated or they would eventually lose their jobs.
Six hundred (less than .05% of the company's workforce) Google employees had drafted a letter opposing the mandate in November.
A spokesperson for Google, Lora Lee Erickson, told CNBC on Wednesday that the company nixed the vaccination requirement in January, which happened to coincide with the US Supreme Court striking down President Biden's vaccine mandate for large employers.
But Google will continue to require staff to be vaccinated or have an exemption to enter an office.
"We're not enforcing vaccination requirements as a condition of employment for US office workers at this time," said a statement from a Google spokesperson. "We're continuing to implement our vaccination policy requiring COVID-19 vaccinations or approved accommodations for any individuals accessing our sites, because it's one of the most important ways we can keep our workforce safe and keep our services running."
Vaccinated or not, those who go back to the office will start to see some of the old Google fun back in the building that was suspended after COVID-19 hit, per an email sent to San Francisco Bay Area employees, CNBC reported.
Pre-pandemic, in-office Googlers worldwide had access to things like like rock climbing, gourmet food cafeterias, volleyball courts, and nap pods.
David Radcliffe, vice president of real estate and workplace services at Google, said in the email to employees in the Bay Area this week that they could expect reopened fitness centers and social spaces, massages and massage chairs, back-to-normal service from shuttles, and more free food, according to CNBC.
Employees also will face less strict pandemic safety measures. Radcliffe said Bay Area offices are removing the weekly testing requirement imposed amid the Omicron wave. The company is also waiving mask and social distancing requirements for vaccinated employees.
Unvaccinated employees who are greenlighted to go into the office will still have to follow certain guidelines, including testing and mask-wearing, per Radcliffe's email, according to CNBC.
Google's plan to bring employees into the office three days per week has been delayed multiple times because of coronavirus upticks. According to the Radcliffe's email, the company is "preparing to begin its 30-day transition period to the hybrid work week if conditions continue to improve," CNBC wrote. But the company has not provided a definitive date.
"Throughout the pandemic, we've prioritized the health and safety of our workforce while providing greater choice and flexibility," said a statement from a Google spokesperson. "We're giving employees who welcome the chance to come into the office the option to do that wherever we safely can, while allowing those who aren't ready to keep working from home. Based on current conditions in the Bay Area, we're pleased that our employees who choose to come in now have the ability to access more onsite spaces and services to work and connect with colleagues."
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