Office software giant Salesforce will let employees work remotely until at least year’s end. However, Salesforce said it would start bringing workers back to its headquarters offices in San Francisco’s tallest building next month. A “phased reopening” process worldwide will see employees coming back to desks as local COVID-19 safety conditions allow, the company announced.
“Offices will gradually reopen from 20 percent to 75 percent capacity, depending on the COVID data rating and local guidance,” Salesforce said in a news release. “In this stage, we will welcome both vaccinated and non-vaccinated employees, and we will continue to follow safety protocols and provide testing where possible.”
Most of the 17 offices Salesforce has opened under the first stage are in the Asia-Pacific region, the company said.
Returning employees will find re-designed lobbies, elevators and conference rooms, rearranged furniture, touch-free handles and sensors, plexiglass between desks, and air purifiers in conference rooms, along with “more collaborative spaces,” Salesforce said.
Salesforce said it had been successful at serving customers and operating its business under a remote-work model. “We’re not going back to the way it was,” the company said.
Earlier, Salesforce had announced its “Success from Anywhere” plan, saying 65 percent of its workers will be on a “flex” schedule and come into offices one to three days a week for meetings with colleagues or customers and for presentations. Employees who don’t live near offices or need to be in an office will be able to stay remote full time, while a small number will go to the office four to five days per week if their jobs require it, the company said.
