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Starting January 2026, Microsoft mandates a three-day office workweek for employees within 50 miles of its Redmond HQ. Some teams may need four or five days in the office.
Microsoft is tightening hybrid policy.
Microsoft Work-From-Office Rule: Microsoft is getting stricter on its work-from-office policy by making it mandatory for employees to come to the office for at least three days a week. The new strict rules will be enforced from January 2026, moving away from the flexible work policy being adopted by the tech giant since the COVID-19 pandemic. This new policy will directly impact the employees living within 50 50-mile radius of Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters. According to a Business Insider report, some teams will be forced to show up in the office for a minimum of four or five days a week.
The Business Insider report stated that the tech giant is set to announce the rules in September. However, employees will get several months to adapt to these new changes. Moreover, employees will be allowed to request extensions, though the criteria and process remain ambiguous.
The decision aligns Microsoft with other tech majors revising remote work rules — Amazon now mandates five days in office, while Google and Meta require employees to be present three days a week.
Earlier, Starbucks told its employees that it would be mandatory for its staff to work at least four days a week in the office from the new fiscal year.
In the fresh communique, the company will shift from a three-day to a minimum four-day in-office workweek, with common days set as Monday through Thursday. This applies to its Seattle and Toronto support centers, as well as North America regional offices.
The new orders will come into effect from the new fiscal year, as noted by Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol in a blog post.
In a notable expansion of its earlier policy, Starbucks has also directed all Support Center people managers to relocate to either Seattle or Toronto within the next 12 months. This follows the company’s earlier February directive requiring vice presidents and above to do the same. While individual contributors aren’t being asked to relocate, future hires and lateral moves will require employees to be based in Seattle or Toronto.
Starbucks is allowing its staff to quit if they aren’t willing to follow the new requirements.
Brian wrote in the post that “to support those who decide to “opt out”, the company is offering a one-time voluntary exit program with a cash payment for partners.
A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al…Read More
A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al… Read More
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