Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Mar 27, 2026

Tech employees working from home could see a pay cut as companies push back office returns

Tech employees working from home could see a pay cut as companies push back office returns

Some companies have pushed back their return to office dates as Delta surges across the U.S.

Employees at Google and other tech companies who opt to work from their homes permanently could reportedly see a pay cut depending on where they live.

In a statement provided to Reuters on Tuesday, Google said that employee salaries have always been determined by location.

"Our compensation packages have always been determined by location, and we always pay at the top of the local market based on where an employee works from," a spokesperson for the search engine giant told the outlet.

The spokesperson noted that pay will differ from city to city and state to state, though saying the company would not change an employee's salary based on a transition from office work to working from home.

Fox Business' request for comment from Google was not immediately returned.

In this Oct. 20, 2015 file photo, signage sits outside Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Google is postponing a return to the office for most workers until mid-October and rolling out a policy that will eventually require everyone 


Both Facebook and Twitter will also cut pay for remote employees who move to less expensive areas, Reuters said, and fellow Silicon Valley powerhouse Apple has also pushed back its return-to-office plans to October.

While most companies are planning to bring their workers back a few days a week, others have also decided to let employees work remotely permanently.

The highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus has led to a surge of cases and hospitalizations in the U.S. over the past few weeks – throwing a wrench in some return plans.

Amidst the surge, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it would reverse previous guidance that only unvaccinated individuals need wear face coverings, advising that some vaccinated individuals resume wearing masks in certain situations to protect against the virus.

Google, which has more than 130,000 employees worldwide, announced at the end of July that its return to office date would be postponed yet again.

An e-mail from CEO Sundar Pichai said that that the company was targeting October 18 for a return to campuses instead of its previous target of September 1.

"We are excited that we’ve started to re-open our campuses and encourage Googlers who feel safe coming to sites that have already opened to continue doing so. At the same time, we recognize that many Googlers are seeing spikes in their communities caused by the Delta variant and are concerned about returning to the office. This extension will allow us time to ramp back into work while providing flexibility for those who need it," he explained, "We’ll continue watching the data carefully and let you know at least 30 days in advance before transitioning into our full return to office plans."

Additionally, Pichai said that Google would be rolling out a policy in the U.S. mandating anyone working on campuses to be vaccinated, though noting that the company's vaccination rate is already high.

"We’re rolling this policy out in the U.S. in the coming weeks and will expand to other regions in the coming months. The implementation will vary according to local conditions and regulations, and will not apply until vaccines are widely available in your area,' he explained. "You’ll get guidance from your local leads about how this will affect you, and we’ll also share more details on an exceptions process for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or other protected reasons."

Facebook has also made COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for its U.S. employees.

Twitter – which has yet to instate a vaccine mandate – closed reopened offices in July due to the Delta variant.

Notably, even before the pandemic began, Twitter and other tech titans had told employees they could work from home.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Expands Maritime Network with Launch of Six New Shipping Services
Saudi Arabia Launches FII Summit Amid Heightened Focus on Global Stability and Investment Risks
Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN Secures First US Customer in Expansion of AI Capabilities
Saudi Arabia Calls on US to Seize Strategic Opportunity to Reshape the Middle East
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Investments Help Shape Silicon Valley’s Rise
Saudi Arabia Announces Passing of King Abdullah, Marking End of an Era
Saudi Arabia May Shift From Neutrality to Retaliation if Houthi Attacks Escalate, Experts Warn
UAE and Saudi Arabia Urge Decisive US Action on Iran as Regional Pressure Intensifies
Zelensky Visits Saudi Arabia After Offering Ukraine’s Drone Expertise
Saudi Arabia Pauses Ambitious Desert Ski Project Amid Strategic Reassessment
Trump Set for Palm Beach Return Following Saudi-Backed Summit in Miami
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Yanbu Oil Exports Toward Five Million Barrel Target
Report Highlights Saudi-US Security Discussions as Trump Administration Evaluates Iran Strategy
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits Three Billion Dollars to Elon Musk’s xAI in Strategic Technology Push
Saudi Arabia Signals Firm Shift in Iran Policy, Declares Coexistence No Longer Viable
Saudi Clubs Prepare Major Push to Sign Mohamed Salah Amid Growing Transfer Speculation
Saudi Arabia Rejects Claims It Seeks to Prolong Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Condemns Iranian Actions and Signals Firm Shift Toward Stronger Response
Saudi Arabia Reassesses Strategic Approach as Regional Tensions with Iran Intensify
Pakistan Reaffirms Strong Support for Saudi Arabia Following High-Level Visit
Saudi Arabia Expands Regional Trade Links by Opening New Land and Sea Routes to UAE
World Economic Forum Delays Saudi Conference as Regional Conflict Disrupts Global Agenda
Saudi Arabia and UAE Signal Potential Entry into Iran Conflict if Critical Infrastructure Is Targeted
Global Firms Accelerate Expansion into Saudi Arabia as Economic Reforms Gain Momentum
Global Labour Pressure Mounts as ILO Faces Calls to Reject Saudi Bid to Dismiss Migrant Worker Complaint
Gulf Powers Move Closer to Entering Iran Conflict as Regional Pressure Intensifies
Saudi Arabia Breaks Ranks with Regional Allies Over Response to Iran Escalation
Saudi Arabia Moves Closer to Direct Role as Iran Conflict Intensifies
World Economic Forum Postpones Jeddah Meeting Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
Saudi Crown Prince Reportedly Urges Trump to Sustain Military Pressure on Iran
Trump to Deliver Keynote Address at Saudi-Backed Investment Summit in Miami Beach
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Press Ahead With Energy Agreements Despite Regional Conflict
Can Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu Port Replace Hormuz? Capacity Limits Test Critical Oil Lifeline
Saudi Arabia Detects Ballistic Missiles as Regional Tensions Escalate in Gulf
Saudi Aramco Reduces Oil Shipments to Asia for Second Consecutive Month
Saudi Aramco Reduces Oil Shipments to Asia for Second Consecutive Month
Saudi Arabia and UAE Push Ahead With Major Deals Despite Iran-Related Uncertainty
Formula One Cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
Pakistan Signals Strategic Realignment Toward Saudi Arabia Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Shipments to Asia as Regional Conflict Disrupts Key Export Routes
Saudi Arabia Moves to Contain Regional Escalation as Houthis Signal Readiness to Join Conflict
Saudi Arabia Signals Independent Nuclear Strategy Unaffected by Iran Tensions
Saudi Arabia Signals Independent Nuclear Strategy Unaffected by Iran Tensions
Egypt Reaffirms Strong Support for Saudi Arabia as Sisi Condemns Iran’s Gulf Attacks
Saudi Stocks Close Higher as Tadawul Index Gains 0.55% on Broad Sector Strength
Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles Toward Riyadh as Gulf Conflict Intensifies
Barcelona Midfielder Marc Casadó Attracts €40 Million Interest from Saudi Clubs
Strait of Hormuz Tensions Rise as Saudi Arabia Opens Key Air Base to US Forces
Saudi Arabia Confronts Strategic Turning Point as Iran Conflict Redefines Regional Alliances
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missile as Two Others Land in Remote Area Without Casualties
×