Offices in Washington state and the San Francisco Bay Area will reopen as a result of "improving local health metrics" amid the pandemic.
Microsoft offices in Washington state and the San Francisco Bay Area will reopen for in-person work starting Feb. 28, according to a blog post by Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela on Monday. This decision comes, the company said, as a result of "improving local health metrics," with falling COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths and high vaccination rates.
In September 2021, the company stopped setting a back-to-office date entirely and said it wouldn't reopen until COVID-19 was no longer "a significant burden." Microsoft said the majority of residents in King County, where most Washington state employees live, are now completely vaccinated against COVID-19, and hospitalizations have declined in the area.
The company said its other locations around the U.S. will also reopen soon "as conditions allow."
Microsoft was one of the first big employers to shut down offices in March 2020 and had adopted a hybrid approach to work since. The company said it still embraces hybrid work, and employees can still request to adjust their work site, location or hours even while offices reopen.