Software giant Microsoft will let employee work from home permanently, if they choose to, which makes it the latest employer to expand work-from –home provisions, a trend which was prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Microsoft employees are still at home as the health crisis drags on, and the company doesn’t expect to reopen its United States offices until January of next year at the earliest.
But when it does, workers can chose to work from their residences permanently, although in that case they will have to give up their office space.
However, employees will need approval from their managers to work remotely on a permanent basis, but can spend less than 50 percent of their week outside the office without approval.
Some employees won’t be eligible for remote-work arrangements, such as those who work in Microsoft’s labs or train other employees.
In its memo, the company co-founded by Bill Gates said it is possible for its workers to relocate across the United States or perhaps overseas.
Those that relocate may see their salaries change depending on where they go, and while the company will cover expenses for employees’ home offices, it won’t cover relocation expenses.
As of the end of June, Microsoft employed 163,000 people, 96,000 of them in the US, according to a securities filing.
Some major tech firms have already allowed permanent work-from-home arrangements including Facebook, whose boss Mark Zuckerberg said half of the social network’s staff could be permanently working remotely within five to 10 years.
