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Google mentioned Friday that it is begun providing free at-home COVID-19 tests to its employees within the US, the most recent perk for a corporation recognized for offering lavish advantages to its employees.
The coronavirus tests can be found by BioIQ, an Atlanta-based well being care vendor that Google is partnering with to distribute the kits. Full-time employees and interns can take two tests every week. For now this system is open to Google’s 90,000 US employees, however the firm plans to broaden it globally subsequent yr, a spokesman mentioned.
Employees can order the tests by BioIQ’s web site. They’ll obtain PCR-based nasal swab tests, which they will then ship off to labs to be processed. The firm mentioned the testing is inspired, however not required. The Wall Street Journal reported the information earlier.
Google’s transfer comes as well being care employees within the US started this week to administer the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Still, a number of counties in Google’s dwelling state of California are beneath stay-at-home orders as well being officers have frightened in regards to the capability of hospitals.
Google was one of many first massive firms to let its huge worker base earn a living from home when the pandemic took maintain earlier this yr. The firm this week mentioned it is pushing again its return to workplaces to September 2021. The tech big can be contemplating a brand new mannequin for the workweek post-pandemic. The pilot plan would have folks work within the workplace for not less than three days, whereas working the opposite days remotely.
The tech big pioneered a number of fancy perks that’ve turn out to be the norm in Silicon Valley, together with free meals and health club service on campus. In May, CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned the corporate would enable employees to expense up to $1,000 for tools and furnishings of their dwelling workplaces, comparable to standing desks and ergonomic chairs.
(This story has not been edited by Newslivenation employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)