• by Sara Guaglione , June 22, 2020

The New York Times will not require staff to return to offices until January 2021, at the earliest.

While the Times may ask “a small number” of people to return “if they do critical work that substantially benefits from being done in the office," the company will “honor the decision” of any employee who does not wish to come into the office, a spokesperson told Publishers Daily.

Times employees already overseeing necessary operations, such as print production and security, will continue to do so.

A few Times offices outside of New York have reopened or will soon. Returning to those offices will also be voluntary, according to a memo sent to staff.

From January 2021, the Times may start requiring some employees to return, depending on transportation and building circumstances.

“We are providing this guidance, so you have clarity and flexibility to plan for the remainder of the year,” reads the email.

The New York Times employs over 4,000 workers.

The Times is one of the first large publishers to make such an announcement. Tech companies like Twitter and Facebook, however, started telling staff in May that some employees will have the option to work from home permanently.

Google told employees they should plan to continue working remotely until 2021.