Facebook pushes back office return to March, will require boosters

Facebook is pushing back its plans for employees to return to offices until March and will require that employees show proof of having received a booster shot for the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, had previously planned to fully reopen offices for vaccinated employees on Jan. 31 but is following in the steps of other companies in delaying the return as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads.

“We’re focused on making sure our employees continue to have choices about where they work given the current Covid-19 landscape,” Janelle Gale, Meta’s vice president of human resources, said in a statement. “We understand that the continued uncertainty makes this a difficult time to make decisions about where to work, so we’re giving more time to choose what works best for them.”

Employees that want to continue working remotely after March 28 will need to request a deferral from the company by mid-March. The deferrals will last between three and five months. 

Apple and Google have also announced delayed return to office plans, pushing the return dates back indefinitely amid the spiking cases.

—Updated at 12:15 p.m.