Google Now no longer requires their US-based workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, a policy that still requires staffers to be vaccinated to return to the office is still in place. A Google spokesperson said that they are not enforcing vaccination requirements as a condition of employment for US workers at the time. Also, employees at Google’s Santa Clara County facilities will have to wear masks in the office.

David Radcliffe (Google’s VP of real estate and workplace services) Google is lifting a policy that required anyone entering a Google facility, even vaccinated staffers, to have a negative COVID-19 molecular test. Although unvaccinated employees who are approved to enter offices will still need to follow additional protocols, including testing and wearing masks.

Google is also relaxing policies over some of their amenities, like opening fitness centers without appointments and massages; restoring full shuttle service; adding more places to eat free breakfast and lunch; and opening “all informal spaces” such as lounges, game rooms, music rooms, and massage chairs. Google also said in December that they would wait until 2022 to determine their return to office plans when employees are expected to return in person. Google has already committed to giving them a 30-day heads up. They also already outlined plans for a hybrid work week where they will expect most employees to be in the office three days per week.

Similar to Google, Apple has also begun to relax their COVID-19 policies as they drop the mask requirements of customers shopping at Apple retail stores in several states. Not all of them, but Apple might also drop the mandate for retail employees to wear masks as well, in probably two weeks.