Work from home no more? Microsoft Teams will auto-detect who’s in office

Starting December 2025, Microsoft Teams will begin using office Wi-Fi signals to automatically detect when employees are physically present, updating their work location in real time for managers and teammates. The feature, part of Microsoft's roadmap to “enhance workplace transparency and hybrid coordination,” will automatically tag users’ locations once they connect to their organisation’s Wi-Fi network.

Currently, Teams administrators can enable location autodetection manually. According to Microsoft’s June documentation, users are opted out by default and must provide consent through the desktop app. “It is not possible for admins to consent on users’ behalf,” the company noted.

While framed as a tool for smoother coordination, the move has sparked criticism over privacy and autonomy in hybrid workplaces, with some media dubbing it one of Teams’ new 'Big Brother' features.

Microsoft has not yet commented on the privacy concerns or provided additional technical details.

Across industries, employers are reasserting control over where and how people work. Amazon, Dell, HSBC, TCS and Starbucks have all tightened their return-to-office mandates this year, rolling back much of the pandemic-era flexibility that defined hybrid work.

Employees at WPP were told to return to work at least four days a week earlier this year. In October last year, Publicis Media laid off dozens of workers in the US for not adhering to its return-to-work policy. This came a year after Publicis tightened rules, stating all staff had to be in the office for a minimum of three days per week, with attendance mandatory on Mondays.