Salesforce said it will allow some vaccinated employees to return to their offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto and Irvine in May, while leaving open the option for all employees to opt for remote work through the rest of 2021.
The phased return to in-person work in the U.S. will start with vaccinated cohorts of 100 employees at a time, followed by reopening gradually from 20% to 75% capacity to eventually all employees regardless of vaccination, depending on local health data and guidance.
Tech companies like Google and Facebook have not yet announced vaccine requirements for workers returning to work, making Salesforce unusual in its decision to allow some early return to work based on vaccination status. Among those tech companies that have announced office reopening plans, Google has set the strictest return-to-work policies so far, requiring that most employees be prepared for at least three days a week in their local offices starting in September.
Salesforce offices in Australia have been open for hybrid work since August 2020, allowing Salesforce to research how employees prefer to work in this new setting. The company found that most employees choose to come into the office on Wednesday or Thursday, rather than Monday, and that co-working spaces are now much more heavily utilized than desk space.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE