Google employees angry at back-to-office mandate after COVID cases reported in office

Google employees have expressed their displeasure over the company’s new return-to-office mandate as the COVID exposure notifications are giving them sleepless nights.

Google’s new return-to-office mandate is giving sleepless nights to the employees. The search giant had asked its employees to return to the office at least three days a week. Employees have reported that ever since they have joined the office, they have received a deluge of notifications from the COVID-19 infection management team. The employees are becoming concerned for their health after seeing the rising number of covid 19 cases at the workplace.

In a conversation with CNBC, some of the company’s employees revealed that ever since they started working from the office again, they are receiving notifications of infections in their email inboxes regularly. Frustrated from the ongoing conditions, employees are pouring out their anger and memes.

Significantly, Google reviewed its work-from-office policy in April and made it mandatory for its employees to be present in the office at least three days a week. However, employees have been resistant to the new guidelines as they have been working productively from home and even made the tech giant observe its highest revenue growth in 15 years.

Although Google has also offered the option of permanent work from home, it’s unknown how many requests for the same have been approved.

According to the Los Angeles city’s public health dashboard, Google observed the highest number of COVID-19 cases in its workplace as compared to any other company. Deadline.com reports that 145 infections were reported at the Google giant's Silicon Beach office in Venice, California, while 135 cases were reported at the company's enormous Playa Vista campus.

One of the Google employees also stated, “There has not been a significant increase of onsite COVID-19 transmission on our campuses. The numbers that have been reported in Playa Vista and Venice reflect total cases over the last few months, not current or active cases.”

Meanwhile, unvaccinated employees of the company are requesting the authorities to allow them to visit the Google facilities since the office is already witnessing a rise in COVID cases anyway. They are asking to drop the vaccine mandate as even vaccinated employees are getting infected.