Google changes Work from Anywhere policy, even one remote day now counts as a full week

Google

Google is making changes to its Work from Anywhere (WFA) policy, a perk that let employees work from a location outside their main office for up to four weeks each year. Under the new rules, even one day of remote work will now count as a full week.

The policy, introduced during the Covid pandemic, was separate from Google’s regular hybrid schedule, which allows employees to work from home two days a week. WFA was meant for working from a different city or state, not from home. The updated rules make that clear: employees cannot use WFA days to work from home or nearby locations.

Employees also cannot work from another state or country during their WFA time without following local business hours, due to legal and financial rules. Not following the policy could lead to disciplinary action or even losing their job, although the rules do not apply to everyone, such as data center workers or those who must be in the office.

The change is part of a wider trend among tech companies to bring employees back to the office. Microsoft recently said employees will need to be in the office three days a week, while Amazon requires corporate staff to work five days in the office. Google has also offered voluntary buyouts to some employees and warned that some remote workers could face layoffs if they do not follow the hybrid schedule.

The new rules caused some confusion among Google staff. At a recent all-hands meeting, an employee asked why even a single WFA day counts as a full week and whether the restriction on working from home could be reconsidered. John Casey, Google’s vice president of performance and rewards, said WFA was always meant to be taken in week-long blocks and not as a substitute for working from home.

The update shows Google is trying to balance flexibility with time in the office, even as many workers still want the option to work remotely years after the pandemic.