Uber Expects Employees to Return to Office by September 13

Uber said on Wednesday it expects its employees to return to office by September 13, making it one of the first major US tech companies to set a return date.

Employees will be required to work at least three days from office, Uber Chief People Officer Nikki Krishnamurthy said in a letter to workers.

Many tech companies including Microsoft and Salesforce have said they would start reopening their offices, months after the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns forced them to shift to work-from-home models.

Cloud-based software maker Salesforce said earlier this week it will allow vaccinated employees to return to some of its offices. While a few others, including Norwegian Cruise Line Holding, plan to make vaccinations mandatory at the workplace.

Earlier this year, Uber said it planned to reopen its offices at Mission Bay, San Francisco, US, with 20 percent occupancy on March 29.

Late last week, Uber and Lyft said they were spending millions of dollars to provide drivers with access to COVID-19 vaccines and offering tens of millions of free or discounted rides to vaccination sites for people in communities that lack access to transportation and healthcare services.

At Uber, a large team of employees has started calling thousands of drivers who left the platform over the past year, asking them what they need to return, Uber US and Canada Head of Driver Operations Carrol Chang said.

The company is trying to address drivers' main concerns — safety and earnings — through mask mandates, a vaccination partnership with Walgreen's and $250 million (roughly Rs. 1,870 crores) in pay guarantees and incentives.

© Thomson Reuters 2021

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