Microsoft to begin reopening main office next week

Microsoft will begin allowing more workers back to its headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company announced Monday.

Nonessential on-site workers will be given the option to work from the office, from home or a hybrid of both.

Any worker who does choose to go to the office will continue to have to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

“Our goal is to give employees further flexibility, allowing people to work where they feel most productive and comfortable, while also encouraging employees to work from home as the virus and related variants remain concerning,” Microsoft executive vice president Kurt DelBene said in a blog post Monday.

The company is describing the latest update in its recommendations as step four on a six-step dial.

“Once we reach a point where Covid-19 no longer presents a significant burden on our communities, and as our sites move to the open stage of the dial, we view working from home part of the time (less than 50 percent) as standard for most roles,” DelBene wrote.

Microsoft also released the results of a survey of 30,000 full-time and self-employed workers Monday, which found that 73 percent preferred to have flexible work options to continue.