Microsoft (MSFT) is requiring that employees around the world work in an office three days a week starting in 2026.
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Employees who work near Microsoft’s headquarters outside Seattle, Washington must be in the office three days a week, starting in February. After that, the policy will extend to other U.S. locations and then to the technology giant’s international offices.
The company has sent emails to employees who live within 50 miles of Microsoft’s headquarters about the shift in policy. In a memo posted on the company’s website, Microsoft wrote: “As we build the AI products that will define this era, we need the kind of energy and momentum that comes from smart people working side by side, solving challenging problems together.”
Covid-19 Policy
Over the past five years, Microsoft maintained the policy it adopted at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic that allowed most employees, regardless of their position, to work from home half the time without requiring manager approval.
However, Microsoft is now moving away from that more relaxed policy and demanding that all employees be in an office the majority of the time. The policy change comes after Microsoft undertook several rounds of layoffs this year. MSFT stock has gained 19% in 2025.
Is MSFT Stock a Buy?
Microsoft’s stock has a consensus Strong Buy rating among 34 Wall Street analysts. That rating is based on 33 Buy and one Hold recommendations issued in the last three months. The average price target on MSFT stock of $623.50 implies 24.97% upside from current levels.
