The tech firm, which is one of the city’s largest private employers, is opting for proof of vaccination to allow workers back in. All employees who do return will volunteer to do so as Salesforce has begun to implement a hybrid strategy that enables staff to work from home on a permanent basis.

The company is said to be eliminating designated desks and expanding ‘collaboration’ spaces to aline with its future workforce plans. 

«It’s really a catalyst to create the best employee experience,» Brent Hyder, Salesforce’s chief people officer, told The Chronicle. «We have an opportunity to create an even better workplace for everyone.»

The cloud company appears to be the first major firm in San Francisco’s Bay Area to opt for proof of vaccination. Firms like Facebook and Google are also welcoming employees back into offices, but don’t require any kind of vaccination ID. 

It highlights the degree to which Salesforce has fully embraced its hybrid work strategy, whereas the likes of Google has seemed more cautious.

Despite previously warning that a hybrid model could affect its culture and finances, Google has made changes to its remote working policies. The firm recently said employees can work from home overseas for more than 14 days a year – pending an application to do so. The company’s current work from arrangements is in place until 1 September, where it will then allow people to voluntarily return to the office.

Before the pandemic, around 18% of Salesforce employees were fully remote. Hyder expects that number to eventually sit at around 20% as most will choose a mix of home and in office. Although productivity was higher, he added that employees were «growing weary» because they «want to see each other».