Big Tech does a turnaround on office re-openings and remote work as Covid-19 continues.
Google, LinkedIn, and Twitter review decisions related to returning to the office and remote work, with the world’s most famous search engine company expecting all future on-campus employees to be vaccinated. Meanwhile, a US study shows that 49 percent of employees avoid reporting issues to HR, fearing retaliation, and Bumble updates its employee benefits again.
Google postpones office return, vaccinations mandatory
Google is postponing a return to the office for most workers until mid-October and rolling out a policy that will eventually require everyone to be vaccinated once its sprawling campuses are fully reopened, reports AP.
The announcement came as the more highly contagious Delta variant is driving a dramatic spike in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations. Google employs more than 130,000 people worldwide.
Employees fear retaliation when reporting issues to HR
Nearly half of employees surveyed in the US (49 percent) say they avoid reporting issues to HR out of fear of retaliation, a new survey has highlighted. At the same time, two in three of these employees refrain from reporting their issues to HR, as they don't think action will be taken.
These were the results of an Elements Global Services survey following analysis on Google search trends, to explore what HR-related questions people are frequently researching, and by extension, what pain points these searches implicate in the modern workplace, reports Human Resources Online.
LinkedIn will allow full-time remote work
LinkedIn will allow most employees to opt for full-time remote work as offices gradually reopen, Chief People Officer Teuila Hanson told Reuters.
This is a change in the company’s initial plan that employees would be expected to work from an office 50 percent of the time, when Covid-19 pandemic restrictions are lifted.
The updated policy, offering employees the flexibility to work remotely full-time or work at an office part-time, will apply to LinkedIn’s global workforce of more than 16,000 employees.
Twitter shuts down reopened offices
Twitter is shutting its reopened offices in the US, while other Big Tech companies are making vaccination mandatory for on-campus employees, as the highly infectious Delta Covid-19 variant drives a resurgence in cases.
Twitter, which has also paused future office reopenings, had started allowing employees back to its campuses in San Francisco and New York at 50 percent capacity about a fortnight ago after more than 16 months, reports Reuters.
Bumble updates benefits, a week’s leave twice a year
Following Bumble’s company-wide week off earlier this year, the leadership team has decided to make collective leave permanent. Bumble employees will now have a week-long company holiday twice a year as part of the updated benefits.
The company has also announced updates to its employee benefits including bereavement leave for miscarriages and increased paid time off for caregivers. These benefits will apply to all teams globally across both Bumble and Badoo apps, reports ET HRWorld.
