Office Mandate Update
Microsoft asked its employees to return to the office three days per week last year, and it is now upping this requirement to four days a week for most Xbox employees. An internal memo describes the change as a need to create more opportunities for people to work together after feedback from Xbox employees.
Xbox mandates a four-day return to office
Xbox employees close to Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters will need to come into the office more starting in February.
Starting February 1st, 2027, Xbox employees in Puget Sound who live within 50 commuting miles of Studio D are required to work from the office a minimum of four days a week, says Jacinda Chislum Pearson, Xbox chief people officer, in the internal memo. Taking advantage of that proximity and working together in person makes it easier to review work, resolve issues, and make decisions without the burden of scheduling another meeting.
Scope and Exceptions
The change to four days in the office will only apply to those close to Microsoft’s corporate campus in Redmond, Washington, and Pearson’s memo appears to suggest that established in-office practices for Xbox studios will remain unchanged.
Microsoft has had exemptions to its return to office rules for certain roles, and Xbox employees with existing exemptions will need to resubmit them again. The return to office changes follow reports regarding restructuring and job reductions within the division.
Xbox is also positioning its updated return to office policy as one that should be worth the investment of taking the time to commute into the office, especially for those 40-50 miles away. Leaders should be present, and coming into the office should not mean spending the same day on video calls from a different building, Pearson notes, emphasizing collaborative tasks like reviewing work and solving problems in person.
