Tech giant Microsoft is reportedly planning to introduce a stricter office attendance policy, potentially requiring employees to work from the office at least three days a week starting as early as January 2026, according to reports.

The implementation timeline may vary across different Microsoft offices globally, with employees at the company’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters expected to lead the shift, according to a report by Business Insider citing sources familiar with the matter.

While Microsoft has operated under a flexible hybrid work policy since late 2020 -- allowing employees to work remotely up to 50% of the time without formal approval -- the reality has been far more lenient, with many employees working remotely most of the time. The proposed changes would mark a significant shift in the company’s approach to workplace flexibility.

Microsoft is still in the process of finalising the new policy and is expected to make a formal announcement as early as September. A spokesperson for the company, Frank Shaw, confirmed that Microsoft is “contemplating” an update to its flexible work model but clarified that “no final decisions have been made.”

The move would align Microsoft with several other major tech firms that have recently adopted stricter return-to-office mandates. Amazon earlier this year required employees to return to the office five days a week, while AT&T implemented a similar policy in 2023, with CEO John Stankey reportedly telling staff to “get on board or get out.”

Microsoft’s proposed three-day in-office requirement mirrors policies already in place at Google and Meta. Some Microsoft divisions, such as the Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) group, are reportedly already working on-site more than three days a week.

However, not all voices within Microsoft have pushed for a policy change. Scott Guthrie, the company’s Executive Vice President of Cloud and AI, told employees during an internal meeting last September that any revision to the existing flexible work model would only be considered in the event of a “clear decline in productivity.”