(FILES) In this file photo taken on July 16, 2014 A building on the Microsoft Headquarters campus is pictured July 17, 2014 in Redmond, Washington. Microsoft on Monday said it will buy software development platform GitHub, in a deal worth $7.5 billion. / AFP PHOTO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / STEPHEN BRASHEAR
SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft Corp is expanding a programme designed to increase its hiring of women seeking to rejoin the workforce, following a rash of complaints about sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the world's largest software company.
Such “returnship” programmes, aimed at workers who had paused their careers to raise children or care for loved ones, are gaining popularity in Silicon Valley as technology companies seek to address criticism about its bias toward young male staff.
