Facebook delays return to office until January 2022

MW Facebook delays return to office until January 2022

By Jon Swartz

Facebook Inc. has delayed a return of U.S. employees to the office until at least January 2022 because of continuing issues with the delta variant.

"Data, not dates, is what drives our approach for returning to the office," Facebook (FB) said in a statement Thursday. "Given the recent health data showing rising Covid cases based on the Delta variant, our teams in the U.S. will not be required to go back to the office until January 2022. We expect this to be the case for some countries outside of the US, as well. We continue to monitor the situation and work with experts to ensure our return to office plans prioritize everyone's safety."

The social-networking giant originally said it expected about 50% office capacity in the U.S. by September, and a full return by October. Facebook also said it would require COVID vaccination and masks for employees returning to its U.S. offices.

The postponement mirrors the actions of Google parent Alphabet Inc. $(GOOGL)$(GOOGL) and Amazon.com Inc. $(AMZN)$ as major employers weigh the medical risks of returning employees to sprawling campuses they have invested billions of dollars into.

-Jon Swartz

$(END)$ Dow Jones Newswires

August 13, 2021 08:45 ET (12:45 GMT)

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