After a year of remote work due to the pandemic, Microsoft announced on Monday that it would reopen its headquarters offices next week and introduce a “hybrid workplace” that would bring back more employees from around the world.
This is the first formal reopening plan announced by the Big Tech firm, which had kept most employees on remote work during the past year. “Our approach is data-driven and research-backed,” the tech giant, which employs 160,000 people worldwide, said in a tweet.
“As of today, after more than a year of most Microsoft employees working remotely,” executive vice president Kurt DelBene said in a blog post. “Several of our work sites around the world have reached a stage that meets or exceeds government requirements to accommodate more workers”, he added.
“Currently, Microsoft work sites in 21 countries have been able to accommodate additional employees, accounting for roughly 20 percent of our global employee population. Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters and nearby campuses will begin making this transition on March 29,” Kurt said.
“The hybrid workplace model strikes a balance at each of our global worksites, providing limited extra services on campus for those who want to return while assisting those who need to work remotely or feel more comfortable doing so,” he said.
“We’ve been closely monitoring local health data for months and have decided that the campus can safely accommodate more employees on-site while remaining aligned with Washington state capacity limits,” DelBene said of the headquarters in the northwest state of Washington.
With different stages of reopening, Microsoft will adjust levels of in-person and remote work at each of its sites to account for health conditions. According to a company poll, 54 percent prefer a “soft open,” which allows people to spend some time in the office.
