Microsoft indefinitely delays the return of employees to its offices

Microsoft had a lot of news to share about remote working today, including a bunch of upcoming updates for Teams focused on hybrid meetings. But perhaps most relevant to the company’s employees was the announcement that it was once again delaying their return to the office. Microsoft is suspending plans indefinitely due to the COVID-19 delta variant.

More recently, the goal was to fully reopen the headquarters in Redmond, Washington and several other US offices by October 4 at the earliest. “Given the uncertainty of COVID-19, we have decided not to attempt to schedule a new date for a full reopening of our US yards in favor of opening US yards as soon as we can do so safely. based on public health advice. ” Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s vice president for Modern Work, wrote in a blog post.

Once Microsoft has a reopening date in mind, it will notify workers of a 30-day transition period so they can prepare. This window, according to Spataro, will allow Microsoft “to continue to be nimble and flexible as we examine data and make choices to protect the health, safety and well-being of employees.” As The New York Times Notes, Microsoft will require employees, vendors, and guests to have proof of vaccination before being allowed into its offices.

“It’s a stark reminder that this is the new normal,” Spataro wrote. “Our ability to come together will fluctuate.”

With that in mind, it looks like Microsoft employees will benefit from the hybrid meeting features coming to Teams. They include support for smart cameras; more immersive PowerPoint presentations with live video as slides; a way to tell your colleagues if you plan to attend meetings in person or remotely when you confirm your attendance; and Apple CarPlay support for audio-only meetings.

Other big tech companies have delayed returns to the office. Amazon previously planned to bring company employees back to its offices this week. In August, he pushed back those plans again, this time until January.