Microsoft is gearing up for an update in its office attendance policy. This decision marks a significant development in the tech industry as Microsoft is one of the few companies that is renowned for its flexible and relaxed working atmosphere. Additionally, the decision is making headlines globally, amidst the backdrop of Microsoft laying off thousands of employees globally.
The decision taken by Microsoft will be affecting the office employees as early as January when the company is thinking off updating the attendance policy. However the dates of the policy implementation will be separate for offices of the company across different locations.
Policy Implementation:
The employees working in Redmond, Washington, are expected to work from the office 3 days a week initially. Whereas other office locations will be asked to do the same eventually. According to Business insider the decision will affect all employees across Microsoft offices eventually in 2026. The official announcement for the same is expected to make an announcement very soon, but it can be delayed a bit due to some final considerations.
New Attendance Policy:
Microsoft, in its new policy, may make it mandatory to work from the office for a minimum of 3 days a week for all employees. This is reported by a lot of people who are informed about this matter. The work policy post-COVID at Microsoft has been very flexible, where in the employees could work remotely for nearly 50 percent of working hours. This too was without prior permission, which enabled employees to work from the office according to their convenience. However, Microsoft spokesperson Frank Shaw confirmed that the company is contemplating updating its flexible work policies, but no final decisions have been made.
Industry Changes:
Microsoft is not the only Silicon Valley tech giant that is enforcing stricter attendance rules for its employees. Several others have recently pushed for stricter attendance policies, including Amazon. This decision also makes headlines since there have been multiple layoffs in the tech industry since the arrival of AI models that have disrupted the job market. Amazon tightened its work-from-office policy, mandating employees work in person five days a week. AT&T launched a similar policy last year, and CEO John Stankey recently asked the employees to get on board or get out.
Microsoft’s proposed move to a three-day work-from-office policy is similar to that of Meta and Google. Notably, certain Microsoft teams, such as the Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) group, are working from the office more than three days a week. Meanwhile, Scott Guthrie, Microsoft’s head of cloud and AI, told employees during an internal meeting last September that the company would only reconsider its flexible work policy if there was a clear decline in productivity.