Facebook says on track to reopen all US offices by October

A 3D printed Facebook logo is seen in this illustration picture taken May 4, 2021. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

Facebook Inc expects to reopen all its U.S. offices by October, with plans to offer flexible work-related options to employees, the social media platform said on Wednesday.

The company also said it was on track to reopen most of its U.S. offices at 50% capacity by early September and that it was opening up remote work as an option to all levels across the company, starting June 15.

“Facebook’s office will be more flexible for those expected to return – guidance is to be in the office at least half the time,” the company said.

The guidance does not have any impact on rules for contractor content moderators, a Facebook spokeswoman said. The company had faced criticism over the safety of bringing some of the moderators, who review sensitive content, back to its offices during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way businesses and employees work, giving rise to a hybrid work model, which is part work-from-office and part remote.

As economies emerge from the depths of the pandemic, several companies, including Google and Microsoft, have given employees options to choose their work location and remote work preferences.

While some of Facebook’s EMEA and APAC offices are already open, the company said it would continue to track its Latin America (LATAM) offices.

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