• e-mail

On Thursday, Facebook postponed workers' return to the office until early next year due to surging cases of the coronavirus Delta variant

Facebook has become the latest firm to postpone its workers' return to the office -  and now expects them back in early 2022 - as other tech giants including Microsoft and Google mull vaccine mandates for staff.

The leading social network set a new target of having employees back on its campuses in January, but promised to provide ample notice before they are required to show up in person, which they will only be able to do after being fully vaccinated.

'Data, not dates, is what drives our approach for returning to the office,' a Facebook spokesperson said in response to an AFP inquiry.

'We continue to monitor the situation and work with experts to ensure our return to office plans prioritize everyone's safety.'

The leading social network set a new target of having employees back on its campuses in January, but promised to provide ample notice before they are required to show up in person

The firm's global headquarters is located in Palo Alto, California, although it also has large offices peppered across the globe, with significant presences in New York and London. 

For now, the data shows rising numbers of Covid cases based on the Delta variant, the spokesperson said.

Along with Facebook, Google and Microsoft have said returning workers will need to be vaccinated against Covid-19. 

Facebook is also requiring people in offices to wear masks, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated.

At Microsoft, the earliest date for fully reopening US facilities will be October 4, according to the computing giant based in the state of Washington.

E-commerce colossus Amazon confirmed that it is delaying employees' return to its corporate offices until January of next year instead of September as originally hoped.

Apple has also delayed the return of its staff until October, having previously ordered them to return to its One Infinite Loop Cupertino campus in September.

Like Facebook, Microsoft has said returning workers will need to be vaccinated against Covid-19

The firm has clashed with workers who wish to continue working from home. Apple argues that because it builds hardware, in-person work is vital to its creativity and success.  

This month, Google made its campuses off-limits to unvaccinated employees and extend its global work-from-home option through October 18.

Unions and critics of mandates have spoken out against required vaccinations, citing personal freedom arguments.

Google staff AGREE to take pay cuts in return for being allowed to work from home permanently: Staff in cheaper US cities will have salaries slashed to reflect their lower cost of living 

Workers at Google have agreed to a pay cut terms recently put forth by the tech giant in exchange for the opportunity to work remotely permanently, as other Fortune 500 players look to follow suit.

A spokesperson for the company told CBS News that staffers working in cheaper US cities will see their salaries slashed to reflect their lower cost of living.

'Our compensation packages have always been determined by location, and we always pay at the top of the local market based on where an employee works from,' a Google spokesperson said.   

In just two months time, over 10,000 Google employees out of a total of 135,000 have requested permission to work from home full-time or to relocate to a different company office once the COVID-19 virus abates, the outlet reports. 

In just two months time, over 10,000 Google employees out of a total of 135,000 have requested permission to work from home full-time or to relocate

Thus far, Google has approved 85 percent of the employees' work-from-home requests, however those who do opt for remote work or to relocate to a different location will almost certainly face salary cuts. 

The average salary at the tech giant is almost $120,000, according to data from PayScale.com. 

Google's 'Work Location Tool' was 'developed to help in June to help employees determine the 'make informed decisions about which city or state they work from and any impact on compensation, if they choose to relocate or work remotely,' the spokesperson said.

In major competitive job markets like New York and San Francisco, the company will still be offering employees, both remote and otherwise, the highest tier of compensation packages. 

Under that company policy, a Google worker could receive a pay raise for moving to an area of the country with a more competitive job market and a higher cost of living.

A 'Welcome Back!' sign on a building on a Google campus in Mountain View, California

Of the 15 percent of relocation submissions that were not accepted by Google, almost all were employees who occupy positions that require them to either have access to specific equipment or their presence in-person, according to the company. 

The rest of the relocation requests that didn't make the cut were from those workers who are committed to working from a certain location, the outlet reports.

However, those who were rejected can resubmit their requests to relocate or work remotely.  

The company recently changed their voluntary work-from-home date from September to October 18 following spikes in the far more-contagious Delta variant.

'Many Googlers are seeing spikes in their communities caused by the Delta variant and are concerned about retuning to the office,' said Google CEO Sundar Pichai (pictured)

'Many Googlers are seeing spikes in their communities caused by the Delta variant and are concerned about retuning to the office,' said Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Meanwhile, several other corporate giants are exploring similar options.

Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman has considered slashing employees' salaries if their living expenses drop, adding that only those who work at the company's offices are paid their full salaries, according to CBS News.

'If you want to get paid New York rates, you work in New York. None of this, 'I'm in Colorado ... and getting paid like I'm sitting in New York City. Sorry, that doesn't work,' he said. 

Catherine Merrill, CEO of monthly magazine The Washingtonian, stated that employees who work from home should be paid as hourly contractors in an Op-Ed piece for the Washington Post back in May.

Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.