After “strongly encouraging” it earlier this month, Twitter announced today that working from home is now mandatory for all employees around the world due to Corona Virus’ concerns. In an announcement, Twitter said “we understand this is an unprecedented step, but these are unprecedented times.”
WHO officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic yesterday. There are now more than 118,000 reported cases in 114 countries, with the global death rollover 4,000.
Twitter said that it will help all its employees, including hourly workers and contractors, cover expenses for setting up home offices, and the hourly workers who cannot work from home, will continue to be paid for their standard working hours while the work-from-home policy is in effect. Twitter also said it will cover additional daycare expenses parents may have if their usual daycares close due to Corona Virus.
Twitter’s Inclusion and Diversity team will also hold a virtual “#FlockTalk,” an employee support program to discuss how “news around COVID-19 is impacting people in different ways—from schools and offices being closed, to serious health concerns, to racism towards communities.”
On March 2, Twitter announced that it is strongly encouraging working from home, and making it mandatory for employees in Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, due to government restrictions. In today’s announcement, the company said it is expanding its policy worldwide because “our top priority remains the health and safety of our employees, and we also have a responsibility to support our communities, those who are vulnerable, and the healthcare providers who are on the front lines of this pandemic.”
Other large tech companies, including Amazon, Box and Lyft, have implemented work from home recommendations or policies in response to Corona Virus, while major events like MWC and E3 have been canceled or moved partially online.
