TWITTER MAKES WORKING, From Home ‘A Must’!

SOCIAL GIANT TWITTER MAKES WORKING FROM HOME A MUST FOR EMPLOYEES WORLDWIDE DUE TO COVID-19

The social giant Twitter makes working from home mandatory due to concern over the spread of COVID-19. This comes after it “strongly encouraged” the move earlier this month, however, the subject social giant made it clear yesterday that working from home wouldn’t be compromised but rather a mandatory service for all employees around the globe.

Based on this development, the company (Twitter) clarified by saying “we understand this is an unprecedented step, but these are unprecedented times”.

Meanwhile, The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared COVID-19 (Coronavirus) a pandemic. According to reports, Italy remains a country with the highest number of confirmed cases outside China while the United States has confirmed over  1,300 cases, South Korea and Japan are still battling to cope with hundreds of infected persons. According to statistics, about 118,000 cases have been reported in 114 countries, with over 4,000 already fed dead.

Twitter has promised it will assists all employees, which includes contractors and hourly workers, pay all expenses used for setting up home offices. In the same vein, vendors, contractors and hourly workers that could not perform their function from home will practically continue to receive their standard working hours while the new policy to work-from-home is still effective. But the company didn’t stop there, it has also promised to cover additional daycare expenses these parents may have, should their usual daycare close as a result of COVID-19.

Elsewhere, Google Chief Executive Officer ‘Sundar Pichai’ had earlier canceled its annual conference, which resulted in sending emails to those that were meant to attend the event, adding that it will be online. In the same vein, major events like E3 and MWC have been canceled or moved online. While on the other hand, tech companies like Box, Amazon, and Lyft have also implemented the measure of work from home policies due to COVID-19.

Moving away from there as Twitter makes working from home compulsory, concerns from Twitter’s Inclusion and Diversity team is scheduled to hold a virtual “#FlockTalk”, understood to be an employee support program, a discussion which focuses on how “news around COVID-19 is impacting people in a number of different ways – from offices and schools being closed, to serious healthcare concerns, to racism towards communities”.

Twitter announced that it is strongly encouraging working from home on the 2nd of March, which the company eventually made a mandatory policy for employees in Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea based on government restriction. But the latest announcement saw the company expanding its policy on a global scale, adding that “our top priority remains the health and safety of our Tweeps, 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”.

• What is your take as Twitter makes working from home mandatory?