Overview

• In an internal meeting, Satya Nadella acknowledged employee concerns about a lack of empathy and said the leadership team must rebuild trust.
• Microsoft set a three‑day‑per‑week office mandate for workers near Redmond beginning in February, with HR citing mixed reactions and noting a 2.4‑day average in the Seattle area.
• Nadella said remote work has weakened mentorship for interns and early‑career staff, calling for an honest renewal of how teams operate.
• Employees await results of a third‑party investigation after a Guardian report on Israeli use of Azure; Microsoft fired five protesters, according to an activist group, and Brad Smith said the company will protect Jewish employees from harassment.
• Despite internal strain, results remain strong with Azure up 39% and quarterly net income rising 24% to $27 billion, as Nadella warned some longstanding businesses may lose relevance.