Microsoft Teams has once again found itself in the spotlight this time, not for antitrust battles but for a new feature that could change how employees are tracked at work. Following the European Union’s pressure to unbundle Teams from Office 365, Microsoft has now turned its focus toward new workplace tools, including a Wi-Fi–based location feature designed to automatically pinpoint a user’s exact work location.
While Microsoft claims the feature will enhance productivity and collaboration, critics warn it could also blur the line between efficiency and surveillance in an era when many companies are phasing out remote work.
The story begins with Microsoft’s recent compliance move to avoid a massive European Commission fine. After years of complaints from competitors such as Slack (owned by Salesforce) over bundling practices, Microsoft officially separated Teams from Office 365 in 2023. Users can now buy Office without Teams or purchase Teams as a standalone subscription for roughly $5.50 (€5) per user per month.
But as the company works to rebuild goodwill with regulators, it’s also doubling down on new Teams capabilities. One of the most talked-about upcoming features is a Wi-Fi-based location detection tool, which will automatically update an employee’s work location whenever their device connects to an office network.
According to Microsoft’s 365 roadmap, the system will “automatically set a user’s work location to reflect the building they are working in.” The idea, Microsoft says, is to reduce workplace confusion helping managers and teammates quickly identify where colleagues are located within a campus or office complex.
The feature is currently under development and slated for broad release in December 2025. Microsoft suggests it could streamline office communication, cutting down on time spent searching for team members or confirming meeting attendance. For instance, rather than asking, “Are you in today?”, Teams will show who’s actually connected to the office Wi-Fi.
However, the new feature has also raised eyebrows. In the post-pandemic workplace where remote and hybrid models have become the norm automatic location tracking could easily double as a monitoring tool. Some observers note that it might help employers determine who is working from home instead of the office, particularly as Microsoft itself rolls back remote work flexibility.
In September 2025, Microsoft announced that employees living within 50 miles of a company office will be required to work onsite at least three days per week by February 2026. Leadership argued that “employees work best when collaborating in person.” But some workers have criticized this as a form of “stealth layoffs,” designed to push out those unwilling to return to the office.
Meanwhile, Microsoft continues expanding its AI-powered ecosystem across products. A recent addition to Copilot Dashboard in Viva Insights called Benchmarks helps management track AI adoption rates across their organization. This feature allows companies to see how much employees are relying on AI tools such as Copilot, further tightening oversight over daily workflows.
“When users connect to their organization’s Wi-Fi, Teams will automatically set their work location,” Microsoft explained in its roadmap entry.
