(Reuters] Meta Platforms Inc stated Tuesday that they will open their U.S. offices fully on Jan. 31, next year, while offering employees the chance to postpone or delay their planned return by up to three to five years.

Meta announced that Meta’s “office deferral” program, which will give employees flexibility when returning to work, is a new feature of the social media company.

Meta was formerly called Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:) said that it would also adhere to earlier plans in which employees can be based remotely and can apply for remote full-time work.

Some employees may not be ready to move on. We continue to offer a variety of options to choose what works best for them, so our employees can make informed decisions about where they work,” said Janelle Gale, vice president, human resources of the company.

Meta’s decision is timely at a moment when companies across the United States are resetting their return dates for work due to concern over Omicron coronavirus.

Google’s Alphabet (NASDAQ) Inc. last week delayed its global January return to office plan. This was in response to growing concern over Omicron and opposition towards company-mandated vaccinations.

Meta claimed that the company was closely monitoring the Omicron variant. The coronavirus is required for all U.S. employees to receive vaccinations.