Google’s announcement that it would be having its workforce carry on working from home made it just the latest in a string of tech companies that are unwilling to risk the health, or the ire, of their workforce. It’s a remarkable turnaround for an industry that until just a few months ago was creating increasingly lavish office campuses to pamper its existing staff and attract new talent. Twitter, Apple, Amazon, Slack and Facebook have all said they would either be giving their staff the option of working at home until at least this autumn, or recommending they do so whenever possible. It means that in the end, it was the tech companies that first sent their staffs home earlier than any other sector and are now looking like the last to have them return. The long-term impact on global office markets could be enormous, depending if other industries are as adept at adapting to home office regimes. Many corporations are opening up their offices to employees again, but have spent the past few weeks rearranging furniture and seating arrangements to ensure staff are sitting at least 6 feet away from each other.
