Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, announced today that employees will need to be vaccinated before they can return to work. This was part of a larger email sent to Google/Alphabet employees. It also stated that the company would be extending its work from home policy until October 18 as the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to sweep the globe.Lori Goler, Facebook's VP for People, stated that the company has a similar policy.Goler writes that we will require everyone who comes to work on any of our U.S campuses to get vaccinated when our offices reopen. The local regulations and conditions will determine how we implement this policy. As the situation changes, we will develop a process to help those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons or any other reason. We are continuing to work with experts in order to ensure that our return to office plans prioritise everyone's safety and health.The statement is similar to Pichai's long letter, which was written in a similar way. It doesn't give an adjusted timeline for the return. Pichai had originally planned to be at half capacity by September and fully operational by October.A spokesperson for The Wall Street Journal stated last week that experts have determined vaccines to be highly effective in preventing variants COVID-19. This includes the delta variant. The timelines for reopening our offices has not changed.These statements allow for some flexibility for the company. They are based on local and state regulations as well as personal and medical concerns.TechCrunchs also inquired about the matter by Amazon, which responded that they strongly encouraged all Amazon employees and contractors, to get vaccinated as soon COVID-19 vaccines were available.According to the company's current guidelines, employees who have not been vaccinated are allowed to return to their offices. However, they must wear masks for those who have not. For those who can prove they are fully vaccinated, face coverings may be optional.
