Google will hold 200,000 employees dwelling via subsequent summer time

Enlarge /. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, testifies before the House Justice Committee in 2018.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Google will "almost all" employees – around 200,000 employees and contractors – work from home for another year. Google CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly made the decision last week.

The long period of time gives googlers who make school and living decisions for the coming school year more security. Previously, Google employees were back in the office in January.

Companies across Silicon Valley – and throughout the US economy – have been closing their offices longer as the severity of the coronavirus pandemic is becoming increasingly apparent.

In May, Facebook announced that it would allow a permanent shift to more employees from home. All Facebook employees are encouraged to work from home by the end of the year.

Amazon is encouraging its employees to work from home by the end of the year. Twitter said in May that employees could work from home indefinitely. The offices remain closed at least until September. Microsoft allows employees to work from home until at least October.

While working from home is a new option for many American workers, Ars Technica has been an organization that works from home for decades. In an article in March, our authors and editors gave some tips on remote working.