No end in sight for Microsoft office closures as COVID-19 looms large

What you need to know

• Microsoft won't fully reopen its offices in October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The company initially planned to have its offices fully reopened in July, but those plans were delayed until September and then October.
• Plans to reopen are now delayed indefinitely as Microsoft says it will stop trying to forecast a date to reopen its offices.

Microsoft will no longer fully reopen its offices in October 2021. The tech giant began a limited reopening of its offices back in March 2021 and at one point planned to fully reopen offices in July of this year. Those plans were then pushed back until September and then into October. Now, the company has postponed plans to fully reopen offices indefinitely (via The Verge).

"Given the uncertainty of COVID-19, we've decided against attempting to forecast a new date for a full reopening of our US work sites in favor of opening US work sites as soon as we're able to do so safely based on public health guidance," says Jared Spataro, Microsoft corporate vice president of modern work.

The delays are in part due to the Delta variant of COVID-19. "The evolving Delta variant is compelling many of us to adjust plans for reopening worksites," explains Spataro. "It's a stark reminder that this is the new normal. Our ability to come together will ebb and flow."

Microsoft is helping lead the charge for hybrid and remote work, so its employees should be able to cope with the offices remaining closed as well as anyone. Earlier this year, Microsoft shared its vision for the future of hybrid meetings through Microsoft Teams. The company also discussed the growth of hybrid work after unveiling Windows 365.