- Google’s ‘work from anywhere’ policy tightens up
- Company says it was never designed as an alternative to working from home
- Time off accrues by week, so one day off will cost a whole week
Google is believed to be revoking some remote working policies, tightening its ‘work from anywhere’ (WFA) policy first introduced as the world battled to establish new norms in a post-pandemic world.
This is on top of previous changes to its hybrid working setup, which requires most workers to be in the office for at least three days per week.
Revisions to the company’s WFA policy will mean Google employees won’t be able to work from a further destination, such as when travelling, as easily as before.
Google makes major changes to its ‘work from anywhere’ policy
Previously, Googlers were permitted to work from their chosen destination up to four weeks per year, affording them more time to spend on vacation or to extend seasonal holiday visits.
Now, though, even shorter requests will still count towards one week’s allowance. “Whether you log 1 WFA day or 5 WFA days in a given standard work week, 1 WFA week will be deducted from your WFA weekly balance,” a company document states (via CNBC).
Google VP John Casey reportedly said in an all-hands meeting (via CNBC) that the policy had always been intended to be taken in increments of a week, and not as a substitute to working from home.
Workers will not be permitted to use WFA allowances to work from home or nearby, the company said. The “legal and financial implications of cross border work” also make working from abroad impermissible.
Failure to adhere to the policy could see employees face disciplinary action or termination, though not all will be required to follow the updated WFA policy – specifically, data center workers and those who are required to be in physical offices.
TechRadar Pro has contacted Google for more context about its policies, but we did not receive an immediate response.
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