Just days after encouraging all Washington State employees to work from home, Google is telling all of its North American employees to do the same.
According to Business Insider, Google sent out a memo on Tuesday recommending that all of its employees in North America avoid going into the office if at all possible and work from home instead. At the same time, the company will keep its offices open for those jobs that require onsite access. Google also informed hourly contractors they would be compensated for hours they miss out on as a result of the virus.
Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Twitter have all recommended that at least some employees work from home. With the vast majority of Google’s 100,000 workers in North America, however, the company’s decision represents one of the biggest telecommuting efforts yet in response to the coronavirus.
For years, experts have been predicting that telecommuting was the way of the future, providing an opportunity for companies to cut cost and increase morale. After the health crisis passes, it will be interesting to see if the workforce returns to normal, or if work from home options become the new normal.