Microsoft announced on Tuesday that starting next year, employees will be required to work from the office three days a week.

The policy will first take effect in February for staff based near the company’s Redmond, Washington headquarters and the broader Puget Sound area, before rolling out to other United States offices and eventually international locations.

Microsoft said it is notifying employees living within 50 miles of its Puget Sound offices by email about the upcoming change.

“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,” Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s human resources chief, said in a memo posted on the company’s website.

During the Covid pandemic, Microsoft adopted a policy that let most employees work from home up to 50 per cent of the time without needing manager approval.

Although the company has undergone several rounds of layoffs this year, Coleman emphasized that the new update “is not about reducing headcount,” but about strengthening collaboration and meeting customer needs.