Even as US President Donald Trump has said "we've to get our country open again", much of corporate America is in no rush to send employees back to their campuses and skyscrapers. The companies are racing not to be the first back, however, the last.
A rising number of them, which mostly have white-collar employees, recently extended work-from-home policies far beyond the shelter-in-place timelines mandated by the state and local authorities.
Google and Facebook employees were told the previous week they could stay home until next year. Capital One informed 40,000 workers that they will be out through Labour Day and possibly longer. Amazon is saying October. Nationwide Insurance is moving more aggressively than other firms, shuttering five offices around the country and having its 4,000 employees telecommute permanently.
The moves reflect the reality that no one is sure how the coronavirus pandemic will evolve. While the number of deaths from the virus in hot zones like New York City has fallen, new outbreaks have emerged elsewhere.
However, even after the coronavirus no longer requires it, working from home is likely to retain a significant presence in corporate life. It will affect the shape of cities and the commercial real-estate industry, and change the culture at firms that for years have been building elaborate temples for their workers.
For several companies, prolonging the policy is not just a safety measure. It helps workers with young children plan for a difficult summer and gives management time to reconfigure open-office plans into something safer. Some companies said there is another reason: Working from home is working out well.
"Working from home is a great thing for the company and for the employees, who don't want to get back in cars and commute for two hours. That's lost productivity," said Ms Joan Burke, chief people officer of DocuSign, a San Francisco tech company that enables electronic agreements.
A broad shift could have major implications for traffic congestion, office culture and corporate profits. Smaller companies could draw on a much larger pool of potential workers who live beyond the radius of headquarters.
There are risks to companies, too. Employee loyalty could become more tenuous, making retention more difficult. Managing could also become harder. However, the bottom line exerts a powerful pull.
"There are real cost benefits to doing this, and companies are in a period where cost matters tons," said Mr Brian Kropp, a VP for Gartner, the research firm and consultant. "Even if employees who are working remotely are 5 per cent less productive, companies can save 20 per cent on real estate and end up with a higher return."
COST SAVINGS FOR COMPANIES
There are real cost benefits to doing this, and companies are in a period where cost matters tons... Even if employees who are working remotely are 5 per cent less productive, companies can save 20 per cent on real estate and end up with a higher return.
MR BRIAN KROPP, VP at Gartner, the research firm and consultant, on working from home.
NYTIMES