At Microsoft offices in Washington.

(illustration) -

Graeme Sloan / Sipa USA / SIPA

Microsoft has decided to allow its employees to work from their homes permanently, said Friday the information site specializing in high technology The Verge.

While the vast majority of Microsoft employees still work from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the software maker has unveiled internally “hybrid workplace” guidelines to allow for greater flexibility once the American offices will reopen, explains the site which had access to the note.

As of June 30, 163,000 people were employed by Microsoft, including 96,000 in the United States.

"Microsoft will now allow employees to work freely from home for less than 50% of their work week, or managers to approve permanent remote work," writes The Verge.

The company co-founded by Bill Gates did not immediately react.

Microsoft is embracing the movement initiated in the high technology sector with companies like Facebook, which already allows permanent teleworking.

It will nevertheless be necessary to give up his office in the premises

In return, Microsoft employees will have to give up the office space that had been allocated to them.

They will however retain the possibility of using "the contact space available in Microsoft's offices".

"The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged us all to think, live and work in new ways," said Kathleen Hogan, director of human resources at Microsoft, quoted in the note sent to employees.

“We will provide as much flexibility as possible to accommodate individual work styles, while balancing the needs of the business and ensuring that our corporate culture is alive,” she adds.

However, some positions will not be able to be provided by permanent teleworking, such as those requiring access to software research laboratories, access to data centers or to staff training.

In addition, telecommuting employees may be allowed to move within the country.

In this case, the management reserves the right to change the salary conditions and the benefits associated with it, says The Verge.

Microsoft's offices will not reopen until next January.

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg told The Verge that half of the social network's employees could work from home permanently within five to ten years.

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  • High-Tech

  • Teleworking

  • Microsoft

  • United States

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus