Microsoft pushes Return to the Office date back indefinitely

Like many of us, Microsoft has given up trying to predict when the covid-19 pandemic will be over.

The company today confirmed that it would delay indefinitely the re-opening of its Seattle headquarters and other US offices, and, unlike before, will not give a new expected date of return.

“Given the uncertainty of Covid-19, we’ve decided against attempting to forecast a new date for a full reopening of our U.S. work sites in favor of opening U.S. work sites as soon as we’re able to do so safely based on public health guidance,” Jared Spataro, a Microsoft corporate vice president, wrote in a blog post.

Microsoft has been working from home since around May 2020, and the news means the company’s 103,000 US employees will now not return in October, the company’s most recent deadline.

Of course, Microsoft has managed to nearly double their value over the same period, and has generated hundreds of billions in revenue, which raises the question of they will ever need to return.

Microsoft has been pushing its Teams collaboration suite as the perfect vehicle for remote and hybrid working, but has not completely given up on the office. If local conditions for each office site allows and medical authorities recommend, Microsoft plans to allow employees to return, with a month-long transition period being offered.

via CNBC