COVID: Facebook Pushes Back Return To Offices Into Early 2022 Amid Delta Variant Concerns
MENLO PARK (CBS SF) – Amid ongoing concerns of the COVID-19 delta variant, social media giant Facebook has reportedly pushed back plans to return to offices into early 2022.
The company said in a statement to CNBC that teams in the U.S. would not be required to go back to the office until at least January. For international employees, returning to the office would likely be delayed as well.
"Data, not dates, is what drives our approach for returning to the office," the company said. "We continue to monitor the situation and work with experts to ensure our return to office plans prioritize everyone's safety."
Headquartered in Menlo Park, Facebook had previously planned to bring workers back to offices by fall, with masks and COVID-19 vaccinations required.
Facebook joins other tech companies, including Amazon, Lyft and DoorDash, in pushing back their return to office plans into early 2022, nearly two years since the onset of the pandemic.
While the company eyes a return to offices early next year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously stated that working from home would remain part of the company, boldly predicting that at least half of Facebook employees could be permanently working remote within the next decade.
In June, Zuckerberg himself said he planned to spend at least half of 2022 working from home.