Google letting at-home employees expense $1,000 worth of office furniture, announces other perks

May 27, 2020May 27, 2020 The Big Kahuna

iStock/doble-d(LOS ANGELES) — Google is already famous for its sprawling office spaces, which boast free three meals a day, gyms, and dry cleaning services, but with so many of its employees working from home because of the COVID-19 crisis, the search giant is bringing some perks home.

According to a memo to employees from CEO of Google and Alphabet Sundar Pichai, those working from home are now allowed to expense up to $1,000 of office furniture and other equipment to make their home-work space more comfortable.

And that’s not all. “Finally, we continue to experiment with sharing more of our in-office experiences virtually, with a focus on health, wellness, and fun,” Pichai explained. “A couple of examples: fitness [classes] with gFit instructors, cooking and nutrition lessons from Google chefs, and Kids@Home Storytime.”

The company is working toward having 10% of its employees to return after the July 4 holiday, and 30% of its workforce return by September. That being said, Pichai allows while some employees are required to return, “For everyone else, returning to the office will be voluntary through the end of the year, and we encourage you to continue to work from home if you can.”

The company insists new cleaning and other safety procedures will be implemented once its campuses do re-open, and staff will be rotated in to reduce in-office numbers.