While Google began executing grand plans to grow its D.C.-area presence last year, the tech giant won't be welcoming new employees back to its offices anytime soon.
The company will have its employees work from home until July 2021, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The move impacts 200,000 full-time and contract workers throughout Google’s parent company, Alphabet. Google also employs more than 600 people in Greater Washington, with about 250 in the District and 350 in Virginia, according to the company.
Google’s work from home decision is among several in the tech industry in recent weeks as much of the U.S. has failed to stop the rampant spread of the Covid-19. Google first announced its work from home plan in early March, when it planned to have employees at home for a month.
That turned out to be optimistic. And Google, like many of tech’s largest employers, has largely had employees at home ever since. It had been anticipating opening offices in January prior to its latest reported decision.
This news comes more than a year after Google began looking to expand in Reston. It also comes after Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a February 2019 blog post that Virginia factored into the company's intention to invest more than $13 billion in data center and office expansions — and that its Virginia workforce would double.
While the latest news will keep many employees at their home offices for the remainder of this year and some of next, Google is currently hiring for 35 jobs in the D.C.-metro region, including the District.
