Andrew Watson: The 'most influential' black footballer for decades lost to history

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  By Andrew Aloia BBC Sport Last updated on 11 October 2021 11 October 2021 . From the section Football Watson was a trailblazer who helped transform how football was played There are two murals of black footballers facing one another across an alleyway in Glasgow. One helped shape football as we know it, the other is Pele. Andrew Watson captained Scotland to a 6-1 win over England on his debut in 1881. He was a pioneer, the world's first black international, but for more than a century the significance of his achievements went unrecognised. Research conducted over the past three decades has left us with some biographical details: a man descended of slaves and of those who enslaved them, born in Guyana, raised to become an English gentleman and famed as one of Scottish football's first icons. And yet today, 100 years on from his death aged 64, Watson remains something of an enigma, the picture built around him a fractured one. His grainy, faded, sepia image evokes many differen

Microsoft to reopen headquarters, step up in-person work worldwide

 BUSINESS REPORT

Microsoft said it would start reopening its headquarters offices next week and implementing a ’hybrid workplace’ that brings back more employees around the world after a year of remote work during the pandemic. Picture: IANS
Microsoft said it would start reopening its headquarters offices next week and implementing a ’hybrid workplace’ that brings back more employees around the world after a year of remote work during the pandemic. Picture: IANS

Microsoft to reopen headquarters, step up in-person work worldwide

By AFP Time of article published Mar 22, 2021

INTERNATIONAL - Microsoft said on Monday it would start reopening its headquarters offices next week and implementing a "hybrid workplace" that brings back more employees around the world after a year of remote work during the pandemic.

The move is the first formal reopening plan to be announced by Big Tech firms which have kept most employees on remote work where feasible during the past year.

"Our approach is data-driven and research-backed," said a tweet from the tech giant which employs some 160,000 people worldwide.

"As of today, after over a year in which most Microsoft employees have worked remotely, several of our work sites around the globe have reached a stage that meets or exceeds government requirements to accommodate more workers," executive vice president Kurt DelBene said in a blog post.

"Currently, Microsoft work sites in 21 countries have been able to accommodate additional workers in our facilities -- representing around 20 percent of our global employee population. On March 29, Microsoft will also start making this shift at our Redmond, Washington, headquarters and nearby campuses."

DelBene said the hybrid model would allow flexibility in allowing some employees to continue remotely while bringing back some to the office when conditions permit.

"At each of our global work sites, the hybrid workplace model strikes a balance, providing limited additional services on campus for those who choose to return, while supporting those who need to work remotely or feel more comfortable doing so," he said.

"Our goal is to give employees further flexibility, allowing people to work where they feel most productive and comfortable, while also encouraging employees to work from home as the virus and related variants remain concerning."

At the headquarters in the northwest state of Washington "we've been closely monitoring local health data for months and have determined that the campus can safely accommodate more employees on-site while staying aligned to Washington state capacity limits," DelBene added.

Microsoft will adjust levels of in-person and remote work at each of its locations to factor in health conditions, with various stages of reopening.

A company survey found 54 percent of employees favored a "soft open" which gives people the option to spend a portion of time in the office.

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