India, Sept. 10 -- Microsoft's Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Amy Coleman, informed the employees about a strict return-to-office mandate in a company-wide memo. The executive shared plans to implement the mandate in three phases by the end of February 2026.

Coleman, in the memo later published on a blog, said the company is not returning to the pre-pandemic era and added that it shouldn't. She said, however, that in the AI era, it is essential to "build on each other's ideas together, in real time."

"When people work together in person more often, they thrive - they are more energized, empowered, and they deliver stronger results," the Microsoft executive said, adding, "we're updating our flexible work expectations ...