According to a report from the foreign media The Verge, Microsoft allows employees to work at home no more than 50% of their working hours per week, and can work remotely permanently after approval by their manager.
Microsoft emphasized that some positions still need to work in the company's office, including those related to hardware laboratories, data centers, and on-site training. After approval, some employees can also relocate domestically, and if their specific position is suitable for remote work, they can even seek to move overseas.
Foreign media pointed out that although Microsoft employees will be allowed to work remotely across the country, compensation and benefits will vary based on the company's regional location. Microsoft will pay for permanent remote employees to work from home, but employees who decide to move out of the Microsoft office will have to pay for the relocation costs themselves.
Few months ago, Microsoft notified employees that its US office would not reopen until January 2021 at the earliest. Microsoft initially allowed employees to work from home in March of this year, but as the epidemic spread in Seattle, Microsoft enforced a work-from-home policy. Microsoft is not the only company that allows employees to work remotely permanently. Facebook is shifting tens of thousands of jobs to remote work. CEO Mark Zuckerberg told The Verge that in 5 to 10 years, as many as half of its employees can work remotely.