Saturday, March 28, 2015

Microsoft announces they are going to require their suppliers to provide at least 15 days of paid leave to their employees

On Thursday March 26, Brad Smith, Vice president Executive of Microsoft published on Microsoft's official blog a post entitled 'Paid time off matters: Ensuring minimum standards for the people at our suppliers" (see below for a copy of this document).
When implemented this decision will drastically change the situation that is described in The Other Microsoft. By itself it is already a very significant and positive change that deserves to be considered and appreciated. Of course we'll see in the coming weeks and months how this announcement translates into real changes for Microsoft's suppliers employees and especially for the 'temporary' workers presently deprived of any paid time off. Of particular interest will be the situation at LOCAL/Lionbridge Technologies where the collective bargaining is on going: at the last meeting, on February 27, LOCAl/Lionbridge Technologies had refused to provide any paid time off of any sort (see pages 8 and 9 of their contract proposal).
Microsoft's announcement changes the story of The Other Microsoft that will need at least one new chapter to take it into account and tell what's next to come.
We'll bring those changes into the book as fast as possible but until we are able to do so we'll keep you up to date on this blog.