By Todd Bishop
Publication Date: 2026-02-20 18:29:00
Remember that return-to-office mandate Microsoft announced last fall? It’s almost here.
Monday, Feb. 23 — yes, next week! — will mark the start of the company’s new policy requiring Puget Sound (a.k.a. Seattle-area) employees who live within 50 miles of a Microsoft office to show up at least three days a week, the company confirmed in response to GeekWire’s inquiry.
It’s a big shift for one of Big Tech’s last holdouts on flexible work. It’s also a potentially significant development for local traffic, given that there are more than 50,000 Microsoft employees in the Seattle region, at last count.
“Gird your loins and prepare for a potentially longer commute,”…
