Facebook to start reopening Silicon Valley offices in May

Facebook Inc. will start to reopen its Silicon Valley offices beginning in May, a signal the technology industry may return -- at least in part -- to the office after more than a year of working from home during the global pandemic.

Facebook will begin by opening Bay Area offices at just 10% capacity, and expects that its largest offices, including its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, won’t reach 50% capacity until early September. Employees have been able to work remotely since offices were closed last spring, and will be allowed to continue doing so until a month after their office returns to 50% capacity, a spokesperson said.

The offices will require safety protocols, such as masks, social distancing and weekly Covid-19 testing in some instances. “We will continue to work with experts to ensure our return-to-office-plans prioritize everyone’s health and safety,” a spokeswoman said.

Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said last year that he expects as many as 50% of Facebook’s employees will work remotely over the next decade. The company has allowed some staffers to apply for permanent relocation, but Zuckerberg said those leaving expensive regions like Silicon Valley would also have to take a pay cut.

Twitter Inc. and Microsoft Corp. are among the technology companies that have said some employees can continue to work from remote locations permanently even after the pandemic is controlled.