Companies reconsider return to the office by omicron variant

Companies of all sizes are rethinking their plans to return workers to their offices as the new variant of the coronavirus, omicron, brings a new layer of uncertainty.

Google, de Alphabet, and Ford Co., the second-largest automaker in the United States, are among those that have again delayed their plans to return to work in person, while others whose employees were already at their desks are considering incorporating new precautions such as the use of mask mandatory.

In recent days, the authorities of Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and Sweden have asked the population to work from home whenever possible due to concerns about the new variant.

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, and the car company with driver Lift They announced separately Tuesday that they will allow their workers to delay going back to the offices when they fully reopen early next year.

Meta It maintains its plans to reopen its headquarters at the end of January, but its employees will have until June to join. Lyft, for its part, will not require presence throughout 2022, although its offices will be operational again in February, as planned.

Janelle Gale, vice president of human resources for MetaHe pointed out that this last decision recognizes that “some are not ready to return.”

These measures are the latest indication of how difficult it is for companies to establish firm plans for the mandatory return of their employees to their offices while concern about the rebound in infections or new variants continues to delay deadlines.

This fall, the delta caused many large companies to delay their return until early next year.

“A year and a half ago we thought this would be for a very short time“, He said Levin joke, responsible for public health in Willis Towers Watson, a global consulting company. “But the pandemic has thrown us many challenges, and companies have to remain agile”.

A survey conducted by the firm among 543 companies with a total of 5.2 million employees showed that, on average, 34% of workers who could telecommute were still doing so, but that the figure would drop to 27% in the first quarter of 2022 The consultation is prior to the appearance of the omicron variant.

The new delay is another setback for restaurants, bars, dry cleaners and other businesses that have office workers as their main customers. Those most affected are those who are in central areas of cities like New York, where office buildings proliferate that are still practically empty.

The change in plans came despite US health authorities saying early indications suggest omicron is less dangerous than delta, which remains the leading cause of hospitalization.

Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown University, does not believe there is enough scientific information on omicron to justify the delay in returning to offices.

“There is going to be a constant flow of new variants, as well as spikes and declines in cases.“Said Gostin. “We shouldn’t interrupt normal business activity with every possible trigger”.

Layered protection, such as masks, vaccination, and ventilation, is highly effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus in workplaces, said the expert.