Microsoft return to office policy3 days a week.
Microsoft expects employees to work onsite three days a week. The rule started February 23, 2026 for Puget Sound (Redmond-area) employees living within 50 miles of an office, with other US sites and then international offices to follow.
Days in the office
- Policy
- Hybrid
- In effect since
- February 23, 2026
- Announced
- September 9, 2025
- Industry
- Tech
- Headquarters
- Redmond, WA
- Checked
- Confirmed October 2026
What the policy says.
- Announced in a blog post by Chief People Officer Amy Coleman.
- Phase 1 covers about 50,000+ Puget Sound employees within 50 miles of a Microsoft office. Other US locations were to get timelines later, and international planning begins in 2026.
- Puget Sound employees could request exceptions by Sept 19, 2025. Microsoft said some groups will deviate from the company-wide expectation.
- Microsoft said the change 'is not about reducing headcount', although it came after several 2025 layoff rounds.
- It replaced the earlier norm of working from home up to 50% of the time without manager approval.
How Microsoft's policy changed since 2020.
March 2020
Employees move to remote work.
October 2020
Hybrid guidance: up to 50% remote without approval, and managers can approve permanent remote work.
February 28, 2022
Washington State offices fully reopen under a flexible hybrid model.
September 9, 2025
Announces a 3-day in-office expectation, phased starting with Puget Sound.
February 23, 2026
Three-day rule takes effect for Puget Sound employees within 50 miles.
Sources and how sure we are.
ConfirmedFrom the company, or reported the same way by several major outlets.Start dates for other US offices and international locations had not been confirmed as of October 2026, and it is unclear how LinkedIn and GitHub are covered. The Verge reported that some field roles (account management, consulting, field marketing) are exempt.
- 1.Flexible work update Microsoft (Official Microsoft Blog), September 9, 2025
- 2.Microsoft's new RTO policy starts Feb. 23, bringing Seattle-area workers back 3 days a week GeekWire, February 2026
- 3.Microsoft to require employees be back in-office 3 days a week by February 2026 KOMO News
Days a week are for most US corporate employees; some teams, roles and countries differ. Spot something out of date? Email hello@forgot.dev.
Other tech employers, side by side.
- Amazon5 days a week, since January 20255
- Dell5 days a week, since March 20255
- X (Twitter)5 days a week, since November 20225
- Intel4 days a week, since September 20254
- Snap4 days a week, since February 20234
- Apple3 days a week, since September 20223
- Expedia Group3 days a week3
- Google (Alphabet)3 days a week, since April 20223
Working to an office rule? Plan the days that matter.
The hybrid work schedule template builds a week of office days for your team: anchor days everyone shares, the rest spread so the office never overflows. Then Forgot keeps office days, remote days and vacations on one calendar, so nobody commutes in for a planning day half the team is away for.
Questions
Does Microsoft require employees to return to the office?
Yes. Microsoft expects employees to work onsite three days a week. The rule started February 23, 2026 for Puget Sound (Redmond-area) employees living within 50 miles of an office, with other US sites and then international offices to follow.
How many days a week does Microsoft require in the office?
3 days a week in the office, as of October 2026.
When did Microsoft's current office policy start?
It took effect in February 2026, after being announced in September 2025.
What was the latest change to Microsoft's office policy?
February 2026: Three-day rule takes effect for Puget Sound employees within 50 miles.