The parent company of Facebook said Tuesday that it will reopen its U.S. operations in full by the end of January, but that employees will have the option to delay their return until June.
According to a representative for Meta Platforms Inc.’s new “office deferral program,” it is aimed to provide employees freedom in returning to offices and selecting how they work. Previously, the majority of the company’s employees had the option of working remotely full-time.
“For those wishing to return in January we look forward to providing a vibrant office experience that continues to prioritize health and safety. We also recognize that some aren’t quite ready to come back.”Janelle Gale, Vice President of Human Resources at Meta
Because of the uncertainties around the Omicron variant and an increase in Covid-19 instances, many firms are revising their return-to-office plans. In recent days, companies such as Ford Motor Co. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google have delayed necessary return-to-work dates, while others have stuck to their original schedules.
In recent months, many of Meta’s U.S. offices, including its Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters, have reopened at a reduced capacity. The office-deferral program, which is open to employees in the United States and Canada, is designed for individuals who want to delay their return to the office for three to five months but don’t want to commit to long-term remote work.
Anyone working for Meta in the United States must be immunized against Covid-19. As of Sept. 30, the corporation employed about 68,100 full-time employees worldwide, with over half of its workforce situated in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Subscribe to Think Remote for the latest news, tips and stories from the remote work world.
