Microsoft announced that it plans to adopt a “hybrid workplace” for its staff, even when the pandemic is over.
Microsoft employees might work from home forever with the new announcement from the tech firm last Friday. And yes, they can have the remote work setup even after the pandemic.
Giving Employees Flexibility
Last week, Microsoft announced its intentions of implementing a “hybrid workplace” as the pandemic continues. The tech company even plans to make it permanent to give its staff more flexibility. Actually, the majority of its employees have reported to work from their own homes since the start of the outbreak. But with the new guidance from the company, Microsoft employees can plan their future even when the crisis is over.
Microsoft is letting employees work from home permanently https://t.co/DIt9doADKg pic.twitter.com/XGMdmTVjXh
— The Verge (@verge) October 9, 2020
“Flexibility can mean different things to each of us, and we recognize there is no one-size-fits-all solution given the variety of roles, work requirements, and business needs we have at Microsoft,” the company blog reads.
“To address this, we have provided guidance to employees to make informed decisions,” the blog further states.
New Arrangements for Microsoft Employees
With the new guidance, Microsoft will allow for their staff to work from their homes. The time should account for less than half of the working week. Additionally, employees can even transfer homes, if approved and if the role can accommodate remote work setup. They can even move from one country to another, but compensation will vary on location.
Moreover, the company will also pay for home office expenses if the staff will have a remote work setup. Furthermore, the working hours will be flexible, too. Employees can also opt for part-time office hours with manager approval.
But according to a Verge report, some of the job functions will still require to go to the office. Specifically, it includes employees that need to access hardware labs, data centers, and training.
A New Era of Working
Executive VP and chief people officer Kathleen Hogan, who also wrote the blog, indicated that the crisis posed a question about their workforce’s future. She noted that Microsoft aims “to offer as much flexibility as possible to support individual workstyles, while balancing business needs and ensuring we live our culture.”
And other companies have also implemented similar efforts. The Twitter staff could even permanently have remote work setups. Even the social media giant, Facebook, will also allow thousands of jobs to retain work-from-home arrangements. Chief exec Mark Zuckerberg even said that half of their workforce can even work remotely within the decade.
