Microsoft is reportedly planning to introduce a tougher office attendance policy that could come into effect early next year for certain teams. People familiar with the matter said the company is weighing a move that would require most employees to be physically present at the office for at least three days each week. This would be a change from its current arrangement, which allows a much higher degree of remote work.

While the policy is still being finalised, January 2025 is being discussed as the starting point for the first phase. Not all locations are expected to follow the same schedule, the Redmond, Washington, headquarters is likely to be among the first to see the change. Sources also indicated that Microsoft had originally aimed to make an announcement in September this year, but no final timeline has been confirmed. A company spokesperson acknowledged that the flexible work guidelines are being reviewed but emphasised that no decision has been made yet.

The change, if implemented, would alter a work culture that has been in place since late 2020, when Microsoft adopted a hybrid policy allowing most employees to work remotely up to half of their working hours without special approval. In practice, this policy has been far more relaxed, with many teams continuing to operate almost entirely from home.

If adopted, the move would align Microsoft more closely with other tech giants that have already made office attendance compulsory for a greater part of the week. Amazon, for instance, enforced a five-day in-office rule earlier this year for many teams, while telecom major AT&T introduced a similar policy last year. AT&T’s chief executive, John Stankey, even told employees that they should either accept the new arrangement or leave the company.

The possible change in office attendance requirements comes at a time when Microsoft is also going through a year of large-scale job cuts. The company has already conducted four rounds of layoffs in 2024. The most recent one, announced on Wednesday, eliminated around 9,000 jobs. These latest cuts take the total number of roles removed this year to more than 15,000, about 4 per cent of Microsoft’s global workforce, which stands at roughly 2,28,000 employees.

In an internal message to staff, CEO Satya Nadella addressed the layoffs directly. He described the decision to let people go as one of the hardest choices the company has to make, noting that it affects colleagues and friends with whom employees have worked closely. He also expressed his gratitude to those leaving, acknowledging that their efforts had played a part in making the company and building its current strengths.

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