Facebook Delays Return to Offices Until 2022 for U.S. Employees

(Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc. is delaying its return to office plans due to a resurgence in Covid-19 cases, telling U.S. employees Thursday that they don’t need to return to work in person until January 2022.

“Given the recent health data showing rising Covid cases based on the delta variant, our teams in the US will not be required to go back to the office until January 2022,” Tracy Clayton, a Facebook spokesperson, in a statement. “We expect this to be the case for some countries outside of the U.S., as well. We continue to monitor the situation and work with experts to ensure our return to office plans prioritize everyone’s safety.”

Facebook had originally said it expected about 50% office capacity in the U.S. by September, with a full return by October. The company also said it would require Covid vaccination and masks for employees returning to its U.S. offices.

The postponement follows other tech giants — including Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Amazon.com Inc. — as they assess the potential fallout of new Covid-19 variants that have emerged in the region. A spike in U.S. infections among the unvaccinated has prompted fresh concern that the delta virus strain will hamper economic growth.

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