Microsoft Mandates 3-Day Office Work Week After 15,000 Job Cuts

Microsoft's announcement of the hybrid work policy requires employees in its Puget Sound headquarters to return to their offices at least three days a week starting in February 2026. This was months after the company had laid off workers, some 15,000 in all, across the globe.

Microsoft Imposes New Work From Office Mandate

Microsoft confirmed, through an officially maintained blog, that those employees living within 50 miles of the Redmond, Washington office headquarters will now have to work from the office a minimum of three days per week. This will be in effect starting in February of 2026, allowing for a few months of adjustment for staff.

There is then a 10-day period for staff to apply for an exemption if they cannot comply with the mandate. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, Microsoft employs about 52,900 in the region, deployment to whom will directly come under the mandate's purview.

The company also said that the dates for other U.S. offices would be announced soon. Staff may also have a say in the days they intend to be in-office, thus giving some flexibility to the new system.

Layoffs and Update to Work Policies

Where layoffs continue at Microsoft, the announcement comes in the midst of the layoff of over 15,000 employees in 2025 as restructuring measures. Analysts consider this tougher office mandate as a possible means stimulating productivity and streamlining operations on a broader scale.

What This Means For India

Currently, Microsoft employs over 20,000 professionals across 10 Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Gurugram, Noida, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.

This may change yet without a notification concerning India as the company has stated that there is still a global transition towards hybrid work due for 2026, which may also imply that employees in India could see similar office mandates shortly.