This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
As the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, Twitter has made a significant announcement about its future work arrangements. According to the company, many of its employees may work from home permanently, even after the end of the lockdowns.
Twitter's decision to adopt a 'distributed workforce' was made in March, when the company first moved to telework in response to the health crisis. The company's spokesperson explained that Twitter was 'uniquely positioned to respond quickly' to the crisis, thanks to its emphasis on decentralization and supporting a workforce that can work from anywhere.
With the past few months proving that remote work can be effective, Twitter has decided to make it a permanent option for many of its employees. 'If our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen,' the spokesperson said.
However, Twitter has also emphasized that any reopening of its offices will be done 'carefully and intentionally,' with a focus on the well-being of its employees. The company has stated that offices won't open before September, and even then, it won't be a 'snap back to the way it was before.'
Twitter's announcement comes on the heels of similar news from Google and Facebook, which have also indicated that they will continue to allow most employees to work from home through the end of the year.