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Microsoft has given its employees the option to continue working from home permanently, subject to the approval of the responsible manager, to mimic the decisions of Facebook and Twitter.
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This decision comes within the framework of the rapid transformation of office work due to the Corona pandemic.
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Several companies are reconsidering the office space they need, as expectations increase for a longer period of time at home.
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The company specialized in the software industry said that some jobs will require the continued presence of those in charge, such as working on equipment or supplies. But many employees will be able to work part-time from home, without even needing formal approval from their managers.
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A Microsoft spokeswoman said that the aim of the new measures is to “gradually develop the way of working, with a commitment to support individual work patterns and businesses.” She added that the new guidelines apply to her UK employees as well.
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Time to work from home?
According to the Office for National Statistics in Britain, more than 46 percent of employees in the country were doing their work from home as of April.
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In the United States, the figure reached 42 percent in May, according to Nicholas Bloom, a professor of economics at Stanford University, whose research focuses on adults between the ages of 20 and 64, whose income last year was more than 10 thousand dollars.
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Professor Bloom says that this percentage decreased to 35 percent in August, but still represents a major shift compared to the pre-epidemic period, when the percentage of full-time workers was only 2 percent.
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Many employers praised this step at first, and were surprised at how productive it was. But as the months went by, some negatives appeared.
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Doing for example, Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella said that the lack of separation between private life and work hours means, “You sometimes feel like you sleep at work.”
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Even so, many companies said they expect more flexible options to operate after the pandemic period.
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According to the “PwC” group statistic, more than 55 percent of employers expect employees to continue doing their work from home at least one day a week, for fear of spreading infection. More than 80 percent of employees support the idea.
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In May, a Willis Towers Watson study reported that US employers expect 22 percent of employees to continue working from home.
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Analysts believe that increasing work hours from home may reduce the demand for office and housing rent in cities with expensive real estate. This is what actually happened in New York and San Francisco. Microsoft permanently allows its employees to work from home
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