Microsoft Lets Employees Work From Home Permanently

Microsoft is letting employees work from home permanently, The Verge reported on Friday, as more companies continue to embrace remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged all of us to think, live, and work in new ways,” Microsoft Chief People Officer Kathleen Hogan said in a note to employees obtained by The Verge. “We will offer as much flexibility as possible to support individual workstyles, while balancing business needs, and ensuring we live our culture.” Moving forward, company employees will have the option to work from home for less than half of the week, or to have their managers approve working from home on a permanent basis. Microsoft employees who opt for full-time remote work will lose their assigned office space but will still be able to use Microsoft’s offices whenever they need. The company said employees can move around the country if they like, although their pay and benefits may be impacted. Microsoft’s decision comes a few months after Twitter said employees could work from home “forever.” Square, a company that’s also led by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, said employees could work remotely permanently. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also said he expects up to 50% of the tech giant’s workforce could be remote within the next decade.