G
o
o
g
l
e
INTERNAL MEMORANDUM
People Operations & Workplace Enterprise Strategy
TO:
All Full-Time Employees, Engineering Leads, and Global Real Estate Teams
FROM:
Fiona Cicconi, Chief People O
ffi
cer & Workplace Operations Lead
DATE:
September 16, 2026
SUBJECT:
Google Return to O
ffi
ce Memo
1. PURPOSE AND CONTEXT
Google continues to emphasize the irreplaceable value of physical co-location for breakthrough innovation,
cross-functional collaboration, and mentorship. As our core engineering groups accelerate major product
roadmaps in arti
fi
cial intelligence and cloud services, aligning our physical work cadence is critical to our
ongoing success.
This memorandum updates and reinforces our hybrid work standards, clari
fi
es badge-swipe compliance
monitoring, and outlines operational expectations for teams globally.
2. HYBRID WORK STANDARDS AND COMPLIANCE
The baseline expectation across all major Google campuses requires employees to be in the o
ffi
ce
approximately
three days a week
. Badge-swipe metrics continue to serve as a supportive tool for managers to
track consistency and ensure fair participation among teammates.
Remote work exceptions remain subject to rigorous review. Employees residing within commuting distance of
an approved regional o
ffi
ce hub are expected to adhere to the standard hybrid schedule.
Core Policy Directive:
Regular in-o
ffi
ce presence is factored into ongoing performance discussions, ensuring
that mentorship, teamwork, and collective problem-solving are fully realized.
3. TEAM ALIGNMENT AND ATTENDANCE PROTOCOLS
To maximize the value of in-o
ffi
ce days, organizations must establish predictable collaboration rhythms:
Anchor Days:
Directors and managers should coordinate team-wide anchor days where all members are
present to maximize face-to-face brainstorming and syncs.
Cross-Location Collaboration:
For distributed teams, local o
ffi
ce presence ensures access to advanced lab
facilities, specialized hardware, and localized peer support networks.
Exemption Reviews:
Formal remote work or relocation requests must be submitted through internal HR
channels and require VP-level sponsorship.
Google Con
fi
dential
—
Internal Use Only
Page 1 of 2
