Microsoft has reportedly exempted several sales roles from its upcoming return-to-office mandate. This suggests that the software giant is adopting a more flexible approach than many competitors in the tech industry. The company stated that this carveout is due to the nature of client and partner-facing work. In an internal memo sent to employees (reviewed by Bloomberg), the company’s human resources executive, Theresa McHenry, referred to these roles and wrote that “we recognise that the nature of work differs from other parts of Microsoft.”The exempted roles include commercial sales and solution engineering. In the note to employees, McHenry added, “We are committed to flexibility where it makes sense.”

How tech companies are scaling back remote work options

A growing number of technology companies are requiring employees to increase their office presence. Dell Technologies Inc. mandated a five-day office week for its sales staff over a year ago. Amazon.com Inc. now requires most corporate employees to work from the office daily. Microsoft, which previously maintained a flexible policy, announced last month that Seattle-area staff must work on-site three days a week starting next spring, with similar requirements planned for other U.S. and international locations. According to a July report from real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., more than half of Fortune 100 employees in traditional desk roles now work from the office full-time.Recently, Google modified its pandemic-era “Work From Anywhere” policy with new restrictions that reduce employee flexibility. Under the updated rules implemented this summer, workers can no longer use their WFA allowance to work from home or from Google offices in different states or countries. Previously, employees could work remotely from any location outside their main office for up to four weeks per calendar year, with the ability to use these days as needed.The WFA policy operates separately from Google’s hybrid schedule, which permits employees to work from home two days weekly. However, the new restrictions specify that WFA days cannot be used to work from home or nearby locations, limiting their use to places away from both home and the main office.