Google delays return to office in Africa, Europe, Middle East

A 3D printed Google logo is placed on the Apple Macbook in this illustration taken on 12 April 2020. Reuteres/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Google had previously extended its voluntary return-to-office policy until 10 January, beyond which it said it would allow countries and locations to decide when to end voluntary work-from-home based on local conditions.

On Thursday, Matt Brittin, Google's president for the EMEA region, told employees that the company would put off that deadline beyond that date, according to the report.

The US or North America employees have not yet received any guidance regarding changes in office return plans, it added.

Europe has so far recorded 79 cases of the Omicron variant, first detected in southern Africa last month, the European Union's public health agency said earlier on Thursday.

Google, one of the first companies to ask its employees to work from home due to the pandemic, had earlier delayed its return-to-office policy from September to October.