Microsoft is Fully Re-opening its Washington And Bay Area Offices on February 28

Microsoft has announced that it was planning to fully re-open its Washingston state and Silicon Valley work sites on February 28, 2022. Chris Capossela, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer explained today that this is an important new chapter in the company’s hybrid workplace model that the company created and updated throughout the pandemic.

“For nearly two years, our hybrid workplace model has anchored each of our work sites to one of six defined stages, allowing us to quickly adjust our guidance depending on health data, local government guidance, the availability of vaccines and vaccination rates and other considerations. Based on this approach and improving local health metrics, our Washington state work sites will move to our sixth and final stage of the hybrid workplace model, effective Feb. 28, 2022,” the exec explained.

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This sixth stage means that Microsoft can fully re-open its offices to employees, visitors, and guests starting February 28. “From this date, employees will have 30 days to make adjustments to their routines and adopt the working preferences they’ve agreed upon with their managers,” Capossela added.

In addition to Microsoft’s offices in Washington state, the company’s new Silicon Valley Campus and other Bay Area sites in California will also fully re-open on February 28. The company expects many of its other work sites in the US to follow depending on the evolution of COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates in these areas.

Like many other big tech companies, Microsoft made some early return to office plans at the beginning of the pandemic, but the Redmond giant had to delay those plans due to the uncertainty caused by the different COVID-19 variants. This led the company to significantly increase its investments in Microsoft Teams, which recently crossed 270 million monthly active users. “We’ve learned a lot about working remotely in the last two years and we’re fortunate to have the tools to continue doing so if needed,” explained Capossela.

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Conversation 8 comments

  • red.radar

    Premium Member
    14 February, 2022 - 1:44 pm

    <p>This is exciting. Where Big tech leads others tend to follow. I look forward to seeing my colleagues back in the office even if it is under more flexible terms. </p>

  • Donte

    14 February, 2022 - 7:33 pm

    <p>Lol, we have been back in the office since summer of 2021. No mask mandates in my part of the US either.</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      15 February, 2022 - 2:41 am

      <p>We have never stopped being on-site, at least in the production. Most other departments are on a rotational basis, but masks in corridors (everybody has their own office at the moment, large shared offices have 1 person in them) and those without a booster need to take a quick test 3 times a week, those who are unvaccinated need a valid (less than 48 hours old) PCR test to get in the building.</p>

      • Donte

        15 February, 2022 - 11:43 am

        <p>We never were 100% at home on the IT team. We did rotate out and we had masks up until the lull in the summer of 2021. If you did not get the first shot/s then you had to wear the masks but that was only temporary and now there are no requirements since out state dropped those as well.</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    15 February, 2022 - 2:40 am

    <p>In Germany, employers have to offer Home Office, where applicable, until the middle of March.</p><p><br></p><p>That said, we have been in rotation (IT department), with somebody always on site and the rest working from home. That way, if someone is infected, it doesn’t take out the whole team, but there is always a presence on site, if there are problems.</p><p><br></p><p>The manufacturing side has been on-site throughout, obviously – we make essential chemical products for paper, cosmetics (such as shampoo and toothpaste), solvents and disinfectants. The purchasing, sales and other back office staff have been offered home office and most departments are similarly in rotation, with some on-site. Although some departments, like QS and logistics have to be on site to take samples or to receive/handout paperwork to the truck drivers that come through the gates.</p><p><br></p><p>Due to the limited numbers on-site in back office space, everybody sits in separate offices at the moment.</p>

  • Daekar

    15 February, 2022 - 3:24 pm

    <p>Hilarious to me that this is news. Most of the world has been back in the office for ages. With the exception of sporadic masking requirements and vaccine checks, the world is back to normal for almost everyone. </p>

    • mattbg

      Premium Member
      15 February, 2022 - 3:50 pm

      <p>Unless you live in Canada…</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      16 February, 2022 - 12:13 am

      <p>Not in Germany, bars and clubs are still closed, stadiums can hold a max of 10,000 people, or 50% (whichever comes first), employers have to offer home office until the 20th March, at the moment, so only those that need to be in the office are actually on-site.</p><p><br></p><p>Masks in the office, in corridors, if you are in a single occupancy office, you can remove the mask. quick Testing 3 times a week for vaccinated, but not boosted, a valid full PCR test for unvaccinated to get access to the offices.</p><p><br></p><p>They are looking at slowly opening up next month.</p>

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