Microsoft said non-essential business travel in areas where the coronavirus is active should be canceled.Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp., speaks during a Bloomberg event on the opening day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020.is encouraging employees in two areas hit by the coronavirus to work from home if they can for the next few weeks.
Several technology companies have been putting provisions in place to keep work going while trying to minimize exposure to the coronavirus, of which there are, according to the World Health Organization. The COVID-19 virus was identified in Wuhan, China, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Consistent with King County guidance, we are recommending all employees who are in a job that can be done from home should do so through March 25," Microsoft executive vice president Kurt DelBene wrote in aon Wednesday. "Taking these measures will ensure your safety and also make the workplace safer for those that need to be onsite. Please let your manager know that you will be working from home, so all our teams remain well coordinated.
Microsoft is suggesting that people postpone trips to its Puget Sound and Bay Area campuses unless they are essential, and all business travel that isn't essential in areas the coronavirus is affecting should be canceled, DelBene wrote. More than one-third of Microsoft's 151,163 employees work in the Puget Sound area as of Dec. 31, according to
Responsible tech firm 👍