Microsoft has ordered a sweeping return-to-office (RTO) mandate requiring employees worldwide to work from the office at least three days a week, by February 2026.
The phased rollout will begin at the tech conglomerate’s Redmond campus in Washington, USA, and extend to its global offices, including Africa.
In a statement to its global staff, Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s executive vice president and chief people officer, said the new policy was a way to strengthen collaboration in the “AI era.”
“When people work together in person more often, they thrive. They are more energised, empowered, and they deliver stronger results. The most meaningful breakthroughs happen when we build on each other’s ideas together, in real time.”
The updated hybrid policy shift will also apply to Microsoft’s staff who report to its regional headquarters in South Africa, Kenya, and Casablanca, with each office overseeing operations across multiple African countries.
While the software giant has just over 70 employees listed at its South African headquarters, its overall footprint across Africa is far larger, spanning country offices in Egypt, Ghana, and Angola.
Microsoft shifted to widespread remote work back in early 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced global office closures. To keep its workforce connected, the tech giant relied heavily on its own products and platforms, such as Microsoft Teams, Office 365 (now Microsoft 365), SharePoint and Azure Cloud Services. “The pandemic pushed us to think differently about work, to connect like never before,” stated Coleman.
Coleman acknowledged the change would not be easy for some staff, but insisted that innovation requires face-to-face teamwork.
“For some of you, this is not a change. For others, this may be a bigger adjustment, which is exactly why we’re providing time to plan thoughtfully,” she said
The move places Microsoft in line with other tech giants that have tightened hybrid work rules. Amazon, Google, and Meta already enforce three-day office mandates, while Africa’s largest mobile operator MTN, has also pushed for more structured office attendance across its markets.
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