Microsoft won’t follow Amazon RTO unless productivity drops: Exec

• A Microsoft executive has assured staff that he will not ask for the desk to be returned unless productivity declines.
• Amazon’s five-day RTO policy has faced backlash from some of its corporate workers.
• Microsoft recently touted hybrid work as a way to increase productivity and retain employees.

After Amazon ordered corporate workers to return to the office five days a week, a Microsoft executive assured employees that the software giant has no plans to follow its rival — unless productivity falls.

Microsoft has a flexible policy that allows most employees to work remotely. And many of the company’s open roles allow a potential hire to work from home at least 50% of the time.

Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Microsoft’s cloud and AI group, told employees during a recent internal meeting that the company would not consider changing that policy unless it saw a drop in productivity, according to two employees present. They were granted anonymity to discuss internal matters, but their identities are known to Business Insider.

Microsoft, which sells software that enables remote working, such as its Teams video and chat app, recently touted hybrid work as a way to retain employees and increase their productivity.

“If you take the time, your employees will be more engaged, productive and connected, even when they’re miles away,” wrote Keith Boyd, senior director of Microsoft IT, in an August post about the hybrid approach -work. “And they’ll be much less likely to leave for a competitor who has a more sophisticated and flexible model than you.”

Amazon’s RTO mandate, which begins next year, has been met with opposition from some of its employees.

A Microsoft spokesman confirmed that the company’s flexible working policy had not changed, but did not comment further on Monday.

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