So, from another Googler's perspective, I haven't felt like there's been much confusing messaging being sent out.

We got "You're coming back to the office on Sept. 1st" last year, and we got We're working on a request form for remote work" this year. The form went live late last month.

As someone who recently change positions during COVID, I despise not working from an office with my co-workers. Onboarding has been hell, and I feel like I'm not able to work at my best because I don't have the resources to do so.

Notably, Nooglers who onboard wouldn't have access to the on-site expertise from senior engineers if everyone was WFH.

I get the some people like WFH, and some other can onboard, but that's not everyone. Plus, free food is nice...