Employees working from home the new trend

The recent announcement by Microsoft that their employees will now have the option of working from home permanently in response to the ongoing impact of Covid-19, marks a rapid shift away from traditional office working and the start of a growing new trend. The announcement follows similar decisions by Facebook and Twitter, which have also said remote work will be a permanent option for employees. A Microsoft spokesperson said of the new guidance, "Our goal is to evolve the way we work over time with intention—guided by employee input, data, and our commitment to support individual work styles and business needs while living our culture.” There seems to be a consensus that the pandemic is now permanently shifting the way we work. According to a PWC survey, about 55% of employers said they expected staff to work from home at least part of the week after concerns about how the virus passes, and more than 80% of employees said they supported that idea. This growing trend on the part of these global business giants is having a positive impact on the way that entrepreneurs who choose to run their businesses from home are now viewed by big companies. There is much more understanding and appreciation of what it takes to operate efficiently and professionally in a home-work environment, and small businesses are hopefully no longer going to be viewed negatively for their choice to operate from home.