Microsoft Workers in Seattle Told To Work From Home to Minimize Risk of Contracting Coronavirus

On Wednesday tech firm Microsoft Corporation. (MSFT) announced it had resolved to permit its employees to work from home as a way of minimizing the exposure to contracting deadly coronavirus which is turning out to be a very serious global concern.

The company says the move was prompted by reported coronavirus cases near its Seattle headquarters and in California.

Microsoft’s executive vice President, Kurt DelBene, advised employees around the Seattle region near its headquarters and the San Francisco Bay Area to work from home until March 25 if need be any changes will be communicated in between.

“Taking these measures will ensure your safety and also make the workplace safer for those that need to be onsite,” said DelBene in a blog post.

The executive Vice President only granted exceptions for staff members who it’s really critical for them to be in their physical office location such as retail workers and those operating in the data centers.

He said such employees will continue working from their physical work locations and the company will follow guidelines provided by the government to disinfect the sites for essential staff members regularly.

In addition the company also put new measures into place for employees who continue working from their physical offices.

Among these measures includes keeping one on one meeting as short as possible while staying at least 6 feet, or 1.8 meters, away from others. The company says this new measures will limit long interactions among its staff thereby limiting risk of infection assuming one of the members is infected.

Microsoft also pleaded with its staff members to consider suspending earlier scheduled business travels unless it’s very critical for the continuity of the company.