Microsoft mandates return to office — claims Teams and all remote work solutions are inferior

Microsoft will require many of its employees to work onsite at least three days per week. The tech giant shared an update to its work expectations in a memo this week.

The return to office mandate will roll out in phases. It will also only affect certain Microsoft employees and there will be some exceptions.

In the Puget Sound area, Microsoft employees who work within 50 miles of a Microsoft office will be expected to work onsite three days per week by the end of February 2026.

Microsoft will later roll out its updated expectations to other US locations and then outside the US.

Microsoft will grant exceptions to some employees who meet certain requirements, such as not having teammates, stakeholders, or clients at the office they're assigned to. The tech giant will also consider an exception if an employee's commute is "unusually long or complex, such as involving multiple transit modes.” The Verge shared details from an FAQ from Microsoft.

Employees have until September 19, 2025 to apply for an exception.

The same FAQ page explained that some roles, such as account managers, consultants, and those in field marketing, will be exempt from the return to work mandate. Those roles "require flexibility to meet with customers or partners," according to Microsoft, so it would not make sense to require them to work onsite.

Why is Microsoft requiring workers return to office?

The answer to the above question depends on who you ask. According to Coleman, people work best when working together in person:

"We’ve looked at how our teams work best, and the data is clear: when people work together in person more often, they thrive — they are more energized, empowered, and they deliver stronger results. As we build the AI products that will define this era, we need the kind of energy and momentum that comes from smart people working side by side, solving challenging problems together."

Microsoft employees who spoke with The Verge said that the mandate to return to physical offices could be a type of stealth layoffs. Sometimes companies will require employees to return to work in an effort to cause people to voluntarily leave their roles.

Microsoft has already cut 15,000 jobs this year. Those layoffs were reportedly made in an effort to free up money to invest $80 billion into AI infrastructure.

Coleman specifically dispelled stealth layoffs being a factor in the decision to require employees to return to office.

"Importantly, this update is not about reducing headcount," said Coleman. "It’s about working together in a way that enables us to meet our customers’ needs."

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the layoffs had been "weighing heavily" on him back in July. In his remarks, Nadella said that "By every objective measure, Microsoft is thriving" but that the company still needs to make changes. The CEO cited the "enigma of success in an industry that has no franchise value" as a factor.

Microsoft became a $4 trillion company earlier this year. That fact combined with Nadella earning $79.1 million in a year has led to criticism.

Our Senior Editor Jez Corden argued that Microsoft’s strategy of "boosting margins and increasing profits-per-employee" is a short-term way to grow its valuation. He added that "the chilling effect its layoffs [have] on employee morale and product quality could do long-term harm."

Based on Coleman's clarification that the mandate is not about headcount and other statements, it's clear Microsoft views remote work as less effective than hybrid work or working together in an office.

Software such as Microsoft Teams is still important to the modern workspace, however. Coleman gave Teams a shoutout in her statement and discussed how the platform helped during the pandemic and is here to stay.