American technology is gradually reopening its offices

The complex of four brand new buildings overlooking San Francisco Bay opened a few days ago. Eleven storey glass walls are surrounded by the Uber logo. VDC’s Jaguar, one of the many key hubs of American technology to be born in Silicon Valley, is thinking big for its new headquarters. There are over 90,000 square meters. Enough to welcome 5,000 or more employees working across the board.

Not everyone can benefit immediately. Uber officially reopened at the end of March, giving those who wished the opportunity to come to work in the office, but with a maximum limit of 20% of workers – and with health precautionary measures.

This inauguration has symbolic value, which sounds like technology in the megalopolis. A year after being a pioneer in the use of the whole of teleworking, American giants in this field are the first to reopen the doors of their offices. Microsoft has been welcoming its first employees to Redmond headquarters for a few days. According to the US channel CNBC, Google will consider doing this from April. Facebook will reopen in May. Amazon warns that the company is preparing tens of thousands of its Seattle area workers. ” Returning to a desktop-centric culture cEspecially ours By the fall, local newspapers reported.

Strict gates and sanitary measures

For now, the reopening is going smoothly. Only volunteers are invited to report to their workstation. The groups are mainly targeting September to put an end to the common telecommunications policy. Until then, there are strict entrances (10% occupation of Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, for example), and health precautions: physical distance, permanent masks, daily check-ups, booking of online seats …

Vaccination is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged. For example, Apple gives its employees a day off for vaccination appointments, and Bloomberg says it is committed to funding the diseased leaves of those who experience adverse effects after injection.

This gap in offices is a limited moment for the United States – the vaccine campaign is ahead of its European counterpart. For example, French subsidiaries of technology companies have closed. Except for a few minor exceptions – up to the latest government screwdriver one day a week on an approved site in Google France – all work 100% through Delivery for a year.

Delivery “always if you want”

Although the system of tasks of American technology has been rubbing heavily on all companies for twenty years, many are eagerly watching their post-epidemic operational forecasts. Are we moving towards an officeless world? The positions taken vary greatly from one technical player to another.

Reid Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, decides on remote work ” Absolutely negative “His allies, Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook, or especially Jack Dorsey on Twitter, openly begged for permanent telecommunications. With the latter, it is a long-held belief that was revealed in an email sent to all its employees in January 2018 – updated last year: “sIf you have a situation and situation that allows you to continue working from home, do it if you want to continue எப்போதும் if you always want to. »

In Silicon Valley, this is a revolution. Physical encounters have always played a major role in innovations – said Steve Jobs himself Creativity arises from spontaneous meetings, random discussions. But epidemics have changed the mindset in technology. The Salesforce announced its new policy in early February Work from anywhere “Employees can now choose to work on site, from home or mix both as appropriate. Tito on Spotify. We explain that providing this total freedom will enhance the performance of teams and attract talent.

For now, however, interim solutions – two to four days a week in the office – are preferred by employees. Even on Facebook, its boss said it believes that within 5 to 10 years half of the group’s employees will be completely remote. But it’s a profession of loyalty, like a business request: like other technology groups, Facebook is working hard on virtual and magnified reality tools, so telecommunications will soon be as deep as the office. In the meantime, pave the way for a “flexible office”.