Social networking site Twitter, which was one of the early adopters of remote working model amid Covid-19 crisis, will allow its employees to work from home “forever”.
“The past few months have proven we can make that work ... so 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,” said Jennifer Christie, Twitter’s vice president of people.
Opening offices will be our decision, when and if our employees come back, will be theirs
At the time of the outbreak, the San Francisco-based company was “uniquely positioned” to allow its employees to work from home given its emphasis on “decentralisation and supporting a distributed workforce capable of working from anywhere”, she said.
“Opening offices will be our decision, when and if our employees come back, will be theirs."
However, Twitter clarified that those employees fulfilling functions such as maintenance of servers will still be required to come in.
“Our offices will be their warm and welcoming selves, with some additional precautions, when we feel it’s safe to return,” said Ms Christie.
In a companywide email, Twitter's founder and chief executive Jack Dorsey said it is unlikely the microblogging site would open its offices before September.
He explained that business travel would be cancelled until then as well, with very few exceptions, reported BuzzFeed, an American technology media company.
The company will also cancel all in-person events for the rest of the year, and reassess its plan for 2021 later this year. The company increased its allowance for work-from-home supplies to $1,000 for all employees.
Twitter’s announcement comes at a time when other tech giants are weighing various options to manage their physical offices during the coronavirus crisis.
Google and Facebook have already extended their work-from-home policy till the end of this year. Amazon has drawn it out till early October.
Meanwhile, Cupertino-based Apple is planning to bring back its staff to stores in different phases after it shut down its retail operations amid the virus outbreak.
The first phase, which includes staff members who cannot work remotely, has already begun in some regions globally. A second phase, which will begin in July, will return even more employees to Apple’s offices.
In March, the iPhone manufacturer shuttered all outlets outside Greater China. This affected more than 460 shops, including about 270 in the US.
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
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A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
