Coronavirus prompts majority of Google's staff to say home until 2021
Google CEO Sundar Pichai initially said employees could expect to return by June 1
Zoom rival, Google Meet becomes free for all users
Google G Suite Vice President and General Manager Javier Soltero says he has seen ‘incredible’ growth in Google Meet use in last three months as more people work from home.
Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
Google on Friday confirmed to FOX Business the majority of the tech giant's employees will be working from home until 2021.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and parent company Alphabet, initially told employees in an April email they could expect to return to the office for work by June 1.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOOGL | ALPHABET INC. | 171.49 | +2.54 | +1.50% |
Pichai said during a Thursday meeting, however, only employees who need to return to the office can do so in June or July, but the majority of Google's other employees will likely work from home until next year, according to The Information.
COMPANIES HIRING WORK-FROM-HOME JOBS DURING CORONAVIRUS
Google, like many other media companies, announced it would undergo a hiring freeze and cut its marketing budget by 50 percent in the second half of the year as it grapples with a steep decline in ad revenue, MarketWatch reported.
A number of tech giants have extended employee work-from-home policies.
Revolving entrance doors on the exterior of Google's London Headquarters in the King's Cross district of North London. (iStock)
Facebook employees who have the ability to work from home will also be allowed to continue their remote work through the end of the year, the company said Thursday.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Amazon announced its staffers could continue to do so through Oct. 2 if their jobs allow them. Microsoft also confirmed Tuesday that "working from home will remain optional through October unless employees are in an essential role or local authorities mandate otherwise."
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
FOX Business' Jeanette Septembre contributed to this report.