Microsoft Is Letting Employees Work From Home Permanently

Microsoft ^ | 10/09/20 | Tom Warren

[Enlightened1]

Microsoft is allowing its employees to work from home permanently. While the vast majority of Microsoft employees are still working from home during the ongoing pandemic, the software maker has unveiled “hybrid workplace” guidance internally to allow for far greater flexibility once US offices eventually reopen. The Verge has received Microsoft’s internal guidance, and it outlines the company’s flexible working plans for the future.

Microsoft will now allow employees to work from home freely for less than 50 percent of their working week, or for managers to approve permanent remote work. While most employees will be able to easily take advantage of the less than 50 percent working from home option, some roles will be difficult, or even impossible, to permanently transition to remote.

Microsoft highlights a few roles that still require access to the company’s offices, including those that require access to hardware labs, data centers, and in-person training. Employees will also be allowed to relocate domestically with approval, or even seek to move internationally if remote working is viable for their particular role.

While Microsoft employees will be allowed to move across country for remote work, compensation and benefits will change and vary depending on the company’s own geopay scale. Microsoft will be covering home office expenses for permanent remote workers, but any that decide to move away from Microsoft’s offices will need to cover their own relocation costs. Flexible working hours will also be available without manager approval, and employees can also request part-time work hours through their managers.

Microsoft’s move to more flexible working comes months after the company notified employees that its US offices wouldn’t reopen until January 2021 at the earliest.

[Oatka]

I’m seeing patient using tele-health and will be doing so through December.

Apparently, the VA is going this way. Have a Dec. "conference" with my doc via "VA Video Connec". Found an old Logitech webcam and have ordered one of those tele-marketer-type earphones and mike, so I should be all set. Much prefer a one-on-one but as long as nothing serious pops up, I'm OK with it. Saves me a 180-mile round trip to the clinic.