London, (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Tech giant, Alphabet Inc.’s Google plans to spend 1 billion on the future of in-office working in Central London expanding its UK capacity by 50%, showing its confidence by “reinvigorating “the work office environment, at a time when firms struggling with how to manage employee work habits. The company has said that the investment reflects its firm commitment to be a place for improved in-person collaboration and social connection.
The UK chancellor Rishi Sunak describes the investment as a “big vote of confidence in the UK as a world-leading tech hub. A giant tech firm expanding its UK bases is one more success story in Brexit Britain”.
The tech firm currently employs 6,400 people in the England, plans to increase its headcount to 10,000 with a multi-million-pound refurbishment of its offices in the Central Saint Giles area, within proximity of Covent Garden in Central London.
The building – built with its distinctively famous red, green, orange, and yellow farade was designed by architect Renzo Piano – includes 408,000 sq. ft of office space, featuring outdoor covered spaces, restaurants, shops, residential apartments, swimming, and exercise facilities.
Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai said in a statement that “We firmly believe that in-person, being together, having that sense of community, is super important for whenever you have to solve hard problems, you have to create something new,” Pichai told Time. “So, we don’t think the future is 100% remote, we definitely value our offices, we value the culture, but we do think we need to create more flexibility, a more hybrid model.”
Last August during a pandemic, the company announced that 85% of employees requested to work from home and/or relocate to the UK, once fully open and renovated. The CEO announced that it does expect an estimated 60% of its staff to work a more flexible approach, working in the office a few days a week, and around 20% have requested to ideally work from home on a permanent basis.
The huge investment will also be likely to boost for nearby large department stores and shops, especially Oxford Street, which is one of London’s busiest Highstreet’s. Many retailers of which had to close their door during lockdown, a much-needed boost would be a big welcome.
