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Googlers to work remotely until at least June 1

The tech industry may not be getting back to normal anytime soon.

Rae Hodge Former senior editor
Rae Hodge was a senior editor at CNET. She led CNET's coverage of privacy and cybersecurity tools from July 2019 to January 2023. As a data-driven investigative journalist on the software and services team, she reviewed VPNs, password managers, antivirus software, anti-surveillance methods and ethics in tech. Prior to joining CNET in 2019, Rae spent nearly a decade covering politics and protests for the AP, NPR, the BBC and other local and international outlets.
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Google employees will be working from home for a while yet.

James Martin/CNET

Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees Tuesday that they'll likely be working remotely until at least June 1. After that, Sundar said in a global staff memo, future returns to office workspaces will be staggered and incremental.

Though US states' shelter-in-place orders currently vary in potential length, the memo comes as the coronavirus lockdown order in the San Francisco Bay Area, home to Google headquarters, has been extended through May. Pichai told employees that unique circumstances in different areas may govern the company's return policy.

Related story: Coronavirus is taking its toll on tech's unforgiving work culture

"First, just as we were one of the first companies to move to WFH, we will be equally careful about our transition back to the office," Pichai said in the memo. "There will be no one-size-fits-all approach, and the specific guidance will vary from location to location. Not everyone at a site will go back all at once -- expect the return to be staggered and incremental." 

Business Insider reported on the memo earlier.

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