How Tech Companies Will Return to Work
Expected plans of tech companies for their office workers after the pandemic
It's been nearly a year since the largest tech firms closed their U.S. campuses, ushering employees to their home offices in order to prevent the further spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, widespread remote work has taken hold, likely transforming the way companies do business in the long term. But while most tech firms are rethinking their remote and flexible work strategies — with some already offering employees the option of working remotely long-term — big companies are generally eager to return to the office, where collaboration is easier. Apple Inc., for example, is planning to return to the office early next year, while Intel Corp. is planning on a June return. Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc., Google LLC and Microsoft Corp. are among the firms that are planning to head back in July.
Sources: Forbes.com, businessinsider.com, CNBC.com, ZDnet.com
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BACK TO WORK BAROMETER | JUN-NOV 2020
Kastle Return To Work Barometer - the average occupancy rate of commercial properties, by each municipality and in aggregate, to show the pace of the Americans returning to work based on daily unique access entries in Kastle-secured buildings across the nations.
10-Jun
24-Jun
8-Jul
22-Jul
5-Aug
18-Aug
2-Sep
16-Sep
30-Sep
14-Oct
28-Oct
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
00.00%
16.00%
19.00%
16.65%
14.30%
9.80%
Average
San Jose
TWITTER | HYBRID
Rumored RTO Timeline – TBD
"When we do decide to open offices, it also won't be a snap back to the way it was before. It will be careful, intentional, office by office and gradual."
READ MORE
TWITTER
_____________________ TWITTER STATEMENT
UBER | HYBRID
"As a company built on flexible working, we want to provide our team with flexibility, choice and longer term clarity so they can plan ahead."
UBER
_____________________ UBER SPOKESPERSON
SNOWFLAKE | HYBRID
"Offices ... need to be there for specific purposes — for events, for training, for meetings, specifically — but not a place to hang out 9 to 5. That’s definitely changing. It’s really going to reduce the real estate footprint that companies have."
SNOWFLAKE
Frank Slootman Chief Executive Officer
INDEED | HYBRID
Rumored RTO Timeline – Q3 2021
"We believe equity and inclusion will be the next frontier."
INDEED
Chris Hyams Chief Executive Officer
IBM | HYBRID
"Return to work should have a government standard."
IBM
Arvind Krishna Chief Executive Officer
SNAP | HYBRID
"This is going to take time and we don’t want to force it."
SNAP
Evan Spiegel Chief Executive Officer
ZILLOW | HYBRID
"There cannot be a two-class system — those in the room being first-class and those on the phone being second-class."
ZILLOW
Rich Barton Chief Executive Officer
FACEBOOK | HYBRID
Rumored RTO Timeline – JUNE 2021
"We should be teleporting, not transporting ourselves."
FACEBOOK
Mark Zuckerberg Chief Executive Officer
MICROSOFT | HYBRID
"Somebody once described this. When people say you're working from home, it feels sometimes like you're sleeping at work."
MICROSOFT
Satya Nadella Chief Executive Officer
Hybrid
SHOPIFY | REMOTE FIRST
Rumored RTO Timeline – 2021
"Office centricity is over."
SHOPIFY
Toby Lutke Founder
DROPBOX | REMOTE FIRST
"This is going to be a permanent shift. Many of us are excited to go back to the office. Many of us are excited to maybe not have to. That’s going to be the dynamic that continues; that’s going to be a permanent shift. So we’ve gone through a one-way door."
DROPBOX
Drew Houston Chief Executive Officer
Remote First
SALESFORCE | FULLY REMOTE
"An immersive workspace is no longer limited to a desk in our Towers; the 9-to-5 workday is dead; and the employee experience is about more than ping-pong tables and snacks.."
Brent Hyder Chief People Officer
SALESFORCE
CAMEO | FULLY REMOTE
Rumored RTO Timeline – JULY 2021
"The ability to connect with people, the ability for teams to work togeter in an ad hoc fashion—you can do it virtually, but it isn’t as spontaneous."
Steven Galanis Chief Executive Officer
CAMEO
Fully Remote
aMAZON | OFFICE FIRST
"The ability to connect with people, the ability for teams to work together in an ad hoc fashion—you can do it virtually, but it isn’t as spontaneous."
Ardine Williams VP of Workforce Development
AMAZON
NETFLIX | OFFICE FIRST
"Not being able to get together in person, particularly internationally, is a pure negative."
Reed Hastings Chief Executive Officer
NETFLIX
GOOGLE | OFFICE FIRST
Rumored RTO Timeline – SEPTEMBER 2021
" We are actively investing in our hub strategy to create more roles — and options — in global offices over time."
Sundar Pichai Chief Executive Officer
GOOGLE
Apple | OFFICE FIRST
"There’s no replacement for face-to-face collaboration."
Apple
Tim Cook Chief Executive Officer
Office First
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Read what the executives are saying about return to work
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03/31/21
Kastle Occupancy Study
Despite the massive rollout of vaccinations during Q1 2021, the percent of workers that had returned to the office remained at roughly the same levels posted in late 2020.
We expect these numbers to surge in Q2; though local health ordinances will remain the greatest factor determining timelines.
–
Miami
Gregory Katz
gkatz@ngkf.com
Visit the Newmark Technology & Innovation Practice Group website for these and other insights
Cameo
FULLY REMOTE
BREX
AFFIRM
REMOTE FIRST
ROBINHOOD
WISH
HYBRID
PINTEREST
atlassian
twilio
OKTA
SQUARE
LINKEDIN
Peloton
LYFT
SAMSUNG
Ryan Roslansky Chief Executive Officer
LINKEDIN | FULLY REMOTE
It's been nearly a year since the largest tech firms closed their U.S. campuses, banishing employees to their home offices in order to prevent the further spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, widespread remote work has taken hold, likely transforming the way companies do business in the long term. But while most tech firms are rethinking their remote and flexible work strategies — with some already offering employees the option of working remotely long-term — big companies are generally eager to return to the office, where collaboration is easier. Apple Inc., for example, is planning to return to the office early next year, while Intel Corp. is planning on a June return. Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc., Google LLC and Microsoft Corp. are among the firms that are planning to head back in July.
OFFICE FIRST
"Not being able to get together in person, particularly internationally, is a pure negative"
AMAZON | OFFICE FIRST
Ardine Williams Vice President of Workforce Development
SALEFORCE | FULLY REMOTE
"An immersive workspace is no longer limited to a desk in our Towers; the 9-to-5 workday is dead; and the employee experience is about more than ping-pong tables and snacks."
Ryan Roslansky Chief eExecutive Officer
Dropbox | REMOTE FIRST
Tobi Lutke Founder
––––– TWITTER STATEMENT –––––
––––– Uber Spokesperson –––––
Indeed | HYBRID
Rumored RTO Timeline – q3 2021
"We are actively investing in our hub strategy to create more roles — and options — in global offices over time."
"There’s no replacement for face-to-face collaboration"
