Google Tightens 'Work From Anywhere' Policy, With Even 1 Remote Day Counting As Full Week: Report

Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google is reportedly scaling back one of its most popular pandemic-era benefits — its "Work From Anywhere" policy.

Google Narrows Flexibility On Remote Work

According to internal documents reviewed by CNBC, Google's "Work From Anywhere" policy has been updated to significantly limit how employees can use it.

Under the new rule, even a single day of remote work outside an employee's primary office location will now count as a full week against their annual WFA allowance.

"Whether you log 1 WFA day or 5 WFA days in a given standard work week, 1 WFA week will be deducted from your WFA weekly balance," the internal memo stated.

The policy, introduced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed Google employees to work remotely for up to four weeks per year from a different location.

Google's Weekly WFA Rules Explained By VP John Casey

At a recent all-hands meeting, one employee submitted a question calling the rule "confusing," asking, "Why does even one day of WFA count as a whole week, and can we reconsider the restriction on using WFA weeks to work from home?"

In response, Google Vice President of Performance and Rewards John Casey explained that WFA "was meant to meet Googlers where they were during the pandemic".

He said it "was always intended to be taken in increments of a week and not be used as a substitute for working from home in a regular hybrid workweek," the report noted.

The change does not apply to all employees — including data center and on-site operations workers — but reinforces Google's post-pandemic hybrid structure, which requires most employees to be in the office three days a week.

Google did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments.

Tech Industry's Return-To-Office Push

Google's move aligns with a broader shift across Silicon Valley. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced that its employees will be required to work in-office three days a week starting next year, while Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has enforced a five-day office policy.

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has called remote work "morally wrong," arguing that it creates an unfair divide between office and factory workers.

By contrast, Zillow Group Inc. (NASDAQ:Z) and Citigroup (NYSE:C) have continued to embrace flexible or hybrid work, with Citi offering two fully remote weeks in August for eligible employees.

Price Action: Alphabet Inc.'s Class A shares slipped 1.26% on Thursday, with Class C shares down 1.32%, according to Benzinga Pro.

Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings show that GOOGL maintains strong momentum across short, medium and long-term periods. A full breakdown of its performance metrics is available here.

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