Microsoft announced Tuesday that it will require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter its U.S. offices starting in September. The software company will ask for proof of vaccination from vendors and visitors to its campus.
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The move comes a week after US government agencies and other technology companies said they would require employees to be vaccinated as the Delta mutation of the virus spreads in the country.
Microsoft said its US will fully reopen no earlier than October 4. The previous plan was to reopen on September 7, after closing facilities in March 2020. Apple and Google have delayed employees' return to offices .
Some employees have returned to U.S. offices in recent months. Many others have tried to continue working remotely. Last year, Microsoft pledged to let all employees work remotely less than half the time and allow employees to request permission from their managers to work remotely.
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Workers caring for immunocompromised people or children who cannot get the vaccine can continue to work from home until January, the spokesman said.
Facebook and Google are among the companies that have insisted that employees get vaccinated before returning to the office. Of Microsoft's 181,000 employees, 103,000 work in the US.
Information source: cnbc.com
