As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, LinkedIn Corp. and its parent company Microsoft Corp. are removing the asterisk around what the 21st century workplace will look like post-pandemic.
Microsoft has introduced guidance for employees on its new flexible working policy in preparation for the future of work after the current crisis is over. The new policy will also apply to LinkedIn staff, with the company recently announcing its employees will continue to work remotely until at least July 2021.
Read: Twitter to allow employees to work from home ‘forever’
“We have provided guidance to employees to make informed decisions around scenarios that could include changes to their work site, work location and/or work hours once offices are open without any COVID-19 restrictions,” said Kathleen Hogan, the company’s executive vice-president and chief people officer, in a press release.
“Our step-by-step guidance includes considerations like office space, salary and benefits, local law, personal taxes, expenses and more.”
Under the new policy, working remotely part of the time (less than 50 per cent) will be considered standard and employees’ work hours and location will now be flexible. Changes to when and where employees work will still ultimately be subject to management approval and must align with team goals.
Hogan noted these guidelines aren’t a one-size-fits-all remedy, but they’ll enable employees to make informed decisions around scenarios that could impact their work site, location and hours once offices reopen without restrictions.
Read: Shopify moving majority of employees to permanent remote work
Microsoft joins many other employers that are making adjustments to their work-from-home policies to better meet the changing needs of their businesses.
In May, Twitter Inc. announced it will allow its employees to work from home permanently and Shopify Inc. closed its offices and moved all of its employees to remote work status until 2021.