4 days ago
Microsoft has ‘bad news' for these employees in the US
Microsoft is preparing to bring most of its employees back to the office at least three days a week, signalling a major shift from its hybrid work model adopted during the coronavirus pandemic. Microsoft plans a mandatory three-day return to office for most Redmond employees, reshaping hybrid work norms.
As per a report by The Verge, the company initially encouraged remote work in 2020, before formalising a hybrid workplace policy that allowed managers to approve permanent remote arrangements. Now, with the pandemic settled into endemicity, Microsoft plans to reintroduce regular office attendance. Sources indicate that some employees may even be required to return four or five days a week, depending on team requirements. Executive vice presidents will determine these decisions, and exceptions will be considered in certain cases.
The policy will primarily affect employees living within 50 miles of Microsoft's Redmond campus, near Seattle, where most of its 125,000 US-based staff are located. The new rules are expected to be announced in September, with implementation slated for late January.
During a recent Experiences + Devices all-hands call, Microsoft highlighted that employees spending three or four days in the office demonstrate higher Thriving Scores, a metric used to assess well-being. The company has integrated the Thrive Global tool into Microsoft Teams to track employee sentiment through regular questionnaires.
Despite concerns over commuting and workspace availability, Microsoft is moving ahead with a significant campus expansion. The renovation plan includes 17 new buildings replacing 12 older structures, providing space for an additional 8,000 employees. Seven buildings are currently open, while others remain under construction or on hold. Some employees have reported shortages of focus rooms and power capacity, yet the company aims to provide dedicated desks for those returning three days per week.
Reactions among staff are mixed. Some employees welcome the return, having experienced empty offices and quiet cafeterias over the past few years. Others are concerned about increased travel time, crowded workspaces, and the difficulty of balancing office attendance with personal obligations. There is also speculation that the policy may act as a subtle method of encouraging employees who are disengaged to leave, following recent layoffs that affected roughly 15,000 roles.
Microsoft's return-to-office plan is likely to influence hybrid work policies at other companies. The firm was an early promoter of hybrid work and positioned Microsoft Teams as a tool to support remote collaboration. Now, with a mandatory three-day office return, other organisations may reassess their remote work strategies, particularly for junior employees who benefit from face-to-face interaction.
While Microsoft is not enforcing a full-time return like Amazon or Google, its approach could redefine industry standards and highlight the limits of fully remote collaboration, even with advanced digital tools like Teams.
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