Thousands of Microsoft employees will begin returning to the office at the end of February.
Microsoft is reopening its offices in Washington and the Bay Area to employees and visitors. The company said in a statement Monday that the reopening will begin on February 28. The company said that from that date, employees have 30 days to “make adjustments to their routines and adopt work preferences that they have agreed to with their managers.”
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Over the past year, the company has outlined several possible dates for returning to the office. However, COVID-19 conditions have made it impossible to return to normal. In September 2021, Microsoft stopped setting new dates and said it would not reopen until things improved and COVID a “significant burden.” Microsoft said that the majority of residents in King County, where most of its Washington office employees live, are now fully vaccinated and hospitalizations have decreased in the area.
The company said that other offices in other US locations will reopen soon, "conditions permitting.".
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Microsoft was one of the first major companies to close its offices in March 2020 due to the pandemic. It has since adopted a hybrid approach to work. The company said it continues to “embrace” hybrid working , and employees can request to adjust their space, location or work hours even when offices reopen.
In the company's post, Chris Capossela, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said that Microsoft will continue to monitor the conditions prevailing in each region (cases, etc.) to adjust its actions. Capossela emphasized that Microsoft will take into account the guidance of public health experts before making its decisions.
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As for other companies, Meta plans to reopen its offices in late March, while Apple, Google and other major tech companies have not announced new return dates.
Source: www.protocol.com
