Google Temporarily Shuts New York Office After Bed Bug Infestation; Staff Asked To Work From Home

New York: Tech giant Google's Chelsea office in New York City was recently affected by a bed bug infestation, prompting management to temporarily ask employees to work from home while exterminators address the issue, according to the Economic Times.

On 19–20 October 2025, Google’s Environmental, Health and Safety team informed staff via an internal email of “credible evidence” of bed bugs.

The internal email urged employees to report any symptoms potentially related to bed bug exposure or sightings of the pests to the facilities team.

The tech giant also advised staff to contact professional exterminators if they discovered bed bugs at home.

The company advised employees to submit a report “if you experience symptoms you believe are linked to possible bed bug exposure.” Additionally, “if you suspect you’ve seen a bed bug onsite,” employees were told to report the sighting to the facilities team.

Staff were asked to avoid coming to the office until the treatment was complete. By Monday morning, employees were cleared to return, with Google carrying out additional inspections at its Hudson Square campus and other New York facilities as a precautionary measure.

Past Bed Bug Infestaion At Google

This is not the first time Google has experienced a bed bug infestation. Back in 2010, its 9th Avenue offices in Manhattan faced a similar issue amid a wider citywide outbreak. Despite such incidents, New York City has made measurable progress in combating bed bugs, dropping from the second worst city in the US in 2024 to 15th in 2025 in national bed bug infestation rankings.