London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 18, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Parliament Advances Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
King Charles Urges Human-Centred Approach to Artificial Intelligence at Scotland Summit
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Voting-Age and Political Finance Reforms
UK Labour Market Shows Growing Divide Between Younger and Older Workers
Nearly Seven in 10 UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
Andy Burnham Reaffirms UK Net-Zero Target Amid North Sea Energy Debate
UK Parliament Demands Credible Financial and Decarbonisation Plan for British Steel
MPs Urge Government to Reject Thames Water Rescue Deal and Prepare Special Administration
Bank of England Holds Rate at 3.75% as Energy Shock Raises Inflation Risks
TUC Calls for Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Taxes on Bank Profits
UK Parliament Enters Conference Recess After Advancing Sovereign Grant Legislation
King Charles Hosts Artificial Intelligence Leaders at Dumfries House Summit
Nearly Seven in Ten UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
Anthropic Details Malicious Use of Claude in Cyber, Weapons and Influence Operations
McLaren Announces £500 Million UK Investment and 1,000 New Jobs
Scotland and Wales Sign Cardiff Agreement to Deepen Cooperation on Shared Policy Priorities
UK Government Moves to Fully Fund Teacher Pay Award as Strike Threat Recedes
UK Competition Regulator Deepens Scrutiny of Microsoft’s Business Software and AI Market Position
NHS England Reforms Focus on Cutting Waiting Lists and Improving Digital Care
England Maintains Mandatory Housing Targets in Push for 1.5 Million New Homes
UK Government Plans Statutory Industrial Strategy Council to Strengthen Long-Term Economic Policy
Asthma Charity Warns of Major Gaps in Childhood Diagnostic Testing Across England
TUC Chief Paul Nowak Appointed to Bank of England Court
Bristol Opens £35 Million Deep-Tech Innovation Hub at Temple Quarter
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Housing Plan
Andy Burnham Deepens UK Defense and AI Cooperation With NATO and Canada
UK Government Announces Neonatal Safety Reforms After Thirlwall Inquiry
Bank of England Weighs Rate Decision as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
UK Health Unions Warn of Staffing Pressures as Public and Private Pay Growth Diverges
Rockstar Games Faces Tribunal Claims From 23 Former Grand Theft Auto VI Developers
UK Treasury Faces Tighter Budget Constraints as Borrowing Costs and Pension Spending Rise
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Plan for Greater Public Oversight of Utilities
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Coordinate Push for UK Constitutional Change
Police Tighten Public-Order Measures After Anti-Immigration Protests in Dover and Portsmouth
UK Ministers Pressed for Answers After US Diplomat Accused of Child Abuse Images Leaves Britain
Jaguar Land Rover Pursues NATO Defense Contracts for Defender Vehicles
British Service Member Dies in Road Accident While Deployed in Ukraine
George Osborne Calls for Britain to Rejoin EU Customs Union
Anthropic Chief Dario Amodei Urges Faster UK Action on Advanced AI Risks
UK State Pension Set for 3.9% Rise Under Triple Lock
UK Labour Market Cools as Payrolled Employment Continues to Decline
Reform UK’s £72 Million in Donations Faces Scrutiny Under Proposed Retrospective Funding Rules
UK Doctors Warn Expanded Pharmacy First Scheme Could Put Patients at Risk
British Airlines Cut Short-Haul Capacity as Jet Fuel Costs Rise
UK News Publishers Forecast 40% Search Traffic Drop as AI Overviews Expand
Axel Springer Wins Approval for £575 Million Daily Telegraph Acquisition
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Opposes Heathrow Third Runway Over Climate Targets
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Hold Summit Seeking Greater Autonomy
UK Energy Price Cap Set to Rise to £1,723 in October
×