Facebook was originally planning to open the office again by the 31st of January. However, the deadline was changed by a month to March 28 because of an increase on Omicron cases.
Meta The parent company behind Facebook has delayed the return of office hours. The delay is not just that Facebook put off sending employees back to the office. The Meta-owned company also mandated the booster shot. Facebook was originally planning to open the office on the 31st of January. However, the deadline has been changed until March 28 because of the an increase of Omicron cases. As facebook always look for their employees safety first.
Facebook had previously announced a deferral of office hours program that allows employees to go back to the office. For those who choose to work from their office the new reopening date is March 28 rather than the earlier date of January 31. “We recognize that some employees aren’t quite ready to come back. We continue to offer a variety of options to choose what works best for them, so our employees can make informed decisions about where they work,” stated Janelle Gale, vice-president HR of the company. As now employees are more happy to work from home comparably working in the office.
But, the rules have been changed for employees as employees must provide proof of Covid booster shots before they can enter the premises. Meta will also require all workers across the US to get vaccinated against Covid. The Reuters report also stated that Facebook employees have until March 14th to decide whether they’d like to work from home or not. If they’re not sure then they can either work from home for a full time period or work from home for a short period of time. Facebook always go for their employees decision as to how they are comfortable. Facebook wants results whether its work from home or work from office.
Employees who aren’t protected because of religious or health reasons may ask for a home-based work environment on a temporary basis or for an event that is permanent. “Employees who take no action can face disciplinary measures, including termination. Obviously, this would be a last resort,” the Facebook spokesperson stated through an email.
Prior to that, Google had also announced that it will take tough measures against employees who have not been vaccine-protected against Covid-19. Google was reported to have issued an email to employees in which the search engine was stating that employees who do not comply with the rules regarding vaccination by January 18 will be put under “paid administrative leave” for 30 days. Following that, they’ll be placed into “unpaid personal leave” for six months. If they do not get their vaccination at that point, they’ll be asked to quit the business.
“As we’ve said before the importance of vaccination is one of the primary ways to keep our employees protected and keep our services in operation. We’re determined to do everything possible to ensure that those employees who are eligible to be vaccinations and we firmly support our vaccination policies,” company spokesperson Lora Lee Erickson has stated to The Verge. Vaccination booster is always a priority for Facebook for their employees.