Google tightens remote work rules with updated ‘Work From Anywhere’ policy

According to an internal memo circulated earlier this year, the tech giant now counts a single WFA day as an entire week. “Whether you log 1 WFA day or 5 WFA days in a given standard work week, 1 WFA week will be deducted [by management] from your WFA weekly balance,” the document stated.

The update also clarifies that employees cannot use WFA ‘to work from home or nearby’ or from a Google office in a separate state or country, citing ‘legal and financial implications of cross border work’.

The WFA policy, launched by Google during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed employees to work from any location outside their home office for up to four weeks each year. This policy is distinct from the company’s hybrid work schedule, which permits staff to work from home two days a week. The hybrid setup remains unchanged under the new rules.

The company has yet to comment publicly on the new restrictions.

In April, Google informed its remote employees in certain divisions that their positions could be at risk if they failed to meet hybrid work requirements mandating in-office attendance three days a week. Some teams reportedly offered voluntary buyouts to remote workers living within 50 miles of a Google office who were unwilling to relocate to work. 

John Casey, Google’s president of performance and rewards, defended the update during a recent all-hands meeting, saying the policy was designed to support employees during the pandemic.

“The policy was always intended to be taken in increments of a week and not be used as a substitute for working from home in a regular hybrid workweek,” Casey said.

The changes reflect a growing industry of tech firms scaling back flexible working options. Apple, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon have all issued stricter attendance mandates since 2023, with several requiring employees to report to the office at least three days a week.

Jan Hendrik von Ahlen, CTO of job-search platform JobLeads, told Fortune that the U.S. job market is returning to pre-pandemic norms. Of the 12 million U.S.-based listings in JobLeads’ database, 88% require on-site work, while only 6% are fully remote and less than 7% are hybrid, von Ahlen said.

Kelsey Szamet, a partner at Kingsley Szament Employment Lawyers, said Google’s move aligns with a larger corporate trend. 

“Such a policy change can take a tangible toll on morale and retention,” Szamet told Fortune. “It can frustrate employees hired with the expectation of flexible or hybrid work, leading to disengagement or turnover — especially among top performers who know they can find flexibility elsewhere.”