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Google's bringing back massages and gyms

The on-campus perks are meant to lure reluctant workers back to the office.

A woman on a climbing wall at Google

With Covid-19 cases plummeting, Google employees in the Bay Area will now have more access to amenities like fitness centers, shuttles and cafes, the company confirmed to Protocol.

Photo: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

Ah, nature is healing: Massages are reportedly back at Google.

The company’s Bay Area offices are also bringing back other plush amenities, including full shuttle service and unscheduled gym access, CNBC reported on Wednesday.

Employees will now be able to use massage chairs, music and game rooms and lounges that were off limits when COVID-19 case counts were higher, and have more options for where to eat breakfast and lunch, according to the report, which cited an employee memo from David Radcliffe, Google’s vice president of real estate and workplace services.

The changes come as COVID-19 cases plummet in the Bay Area. Google still requires employees who come to the office to get vaccinated if they haven’t been approved for an accommodation, a spokesperson told Protocol, but the company has stopped requiring workers to get tested weekly. Offices in Santa Clara County, including Google’s Mountain View headquarters, still require masks under local government rules.

Around 30% of Google’s Bay Area workforce went to the office last week, but coming to campus is still a choice. Google hasn’t yet set a date at which its workers will be required to come in three days a week.

Allison Levitsky
Allison Levitsky is a reporter at Protocol covering workplace issues in tech. She previously covered big tech companies and the tech workforce for the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Allison grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from UC Berkeley.
return to workgooglecovid-19vaccine mandatesreturn to office
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