Microsoft to Allow Some Employees to Opt for Permanent Remote Work -- Update
October 09 2020 - 4:00PM
Dow Jones News
By Allison Prang
Microsoft Corp. is going to permit some staff to work from home
on a regular basis even after the pandemic fades in another sign
that changes to work routines made in recent months will be
enduring.
The software giant told employees in an internal memo this week
that staff, once regular office work resumes, are going to be
allowed to work from home routinely, as long as that time adds up
to less than half of their workweek, Microsoft Chief People Officer
Kathleen Hogan said in a blog post Friday. Work schedule
flexibility, she added, is now considered standard for most
roles.
Some workers will be able to work remotely on a permanent basis
if it is approved by managers, Microsoft said. Tech news outlet The
Verge earlier reported on the memo.
Microsoft's move to allow people to work from home permanently
capitalizes on the trend that has become common for many businesses
and industries because of the pandemic. Social-media company
Twitter Inc. in May said that most of the company's staff would be
able to keep working remotely after the Covid-19 outbreak has
passed.
"It is our goal to offer as much flexibility as possible to
support individual work styles, while balancing business needs and
ensuring we live our culture," Ms Hogan said. The company, however,
won't shift entirely to remote work. "We believe there is value in
employees being together in the workplace," Ms. Hogan said.
Microsoft was one of the first big American companies to ask
employees to work from home when the pandemic struck. It also has
been one of the big corporate winners from the pandemic, as
companies adapted to navigate the remote-work environment and have
embraced the kind of cloud-computing services and workplace
collaboration tools the Redmond, Wash.-based company sells.
Many companies have yet to return to the office. Google is
keeping most of its staff working remotely until at least July
2021. Facebook Inc. is letting staff work remotely through July
2021 after earlier saying workers could remain away from offices
through the end of 2020.
Microsoft employees also are going to be allowed to move
domestically in the U.S., pending approval, but benefits and pay
may change based on the company's compensation scale by location, a
person briefed on the guidance said.
Microsoft also said more changes may be ahead. "We will continue
to evolve our approach to flexibility over time as we learn more,"
Ms. Hogan said.
--Aaron Tilley contributed to this article.
Write to Allison Prang at allison.prang@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 09, 2020 15:45 ET (19:45 GMT)
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