San Francisco: As the Covid-19 pandemic ravages countries like India and Brazil, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced that the company is adopting a hybrid workplace, where around 60 per cent of Googlers are coming together in the office a few days a week, another 20 per cent are working in new office locations and 20 per cent are working from home (WFH).
Pichai said it heartbreaking to see COVID surging in places like India, Brazil, and many others around the world. We’ll move to a hybrid work week where most Googlers spend approximately three days in the office and two days wherever they work best. Since in-office time will be focused on collaboration, your product areas and functions will help decide which days teams will come together in the office, he said.
There will also be roles that may need to be on site more than three days a week due to the nature of the work. By mid-June your PAs and functions will come back with a process by which you can apply to move to another office. In granting approvals, they’ll take into account whether business goals can be met in the new location and whether your team has the right infrastructure in the site to support your work, Pichai informed. It will also offer opportunities for employees to apply for completely remote work (away from team or office) based on their roles and team needs. As with location transfers, your leads will evaluate whether remote work can support the goals of the team and business, he added.
A few days ago, Sundar Pichai said that the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation in India is dire and the worst is yet to come. Pichai told CNN that it has been heartening to see the kind of attention people at the highest levels in the United States have been giving to the health crisis unfolding in India and other countries.
The situation there is dire and it has been heartbreaking to see. And I think the worst is yet to come, said the Google CEO.
What’s been heartening, at least being here, is definitely seeing the attention here. I realise that at the highest levels, from President Biden, secretary Blinken, there has been focus on engaging to see how we can help India and the other countries being affected, he added.