12/21/2025
🏢 Imagine walking into your office, connecting to the Wi-Fi… and instantly, Microsoft Teams updates your status to say: “In the office.”
No typing, no toggling, no forgetting to update your location. Teams will just know.
That’s what Microsoft is working on right now.
The new feature will automatically detect when someone connects to the company’s Wi-Fi network and set their work location accordingly.
On the surface, that sounds handy.
It means less confusion about who’s where. Especially in hybrid teams where some people are remote, some in-office, and others constantly moving between sites.
But as with most new tech, there’s another side to it.
Let’s talk about the pros first 👍
It could make planning and communication smoother.
Managers won’t have to chase people to check if they’re in today or working from home.
Colleagues can see immediately who’s available for an in-person chat versus who’s only online.
It might even help with desk booking systems or meeting room management, saving time and avoiding awkward “I thought you were here today!” moments.
But here’s where it gets a bit tricky 🤔
The line between useful tracking and surveillance can get blurry very quickly.
Many people are understandably uncomfortable with the idea of software automatically reporting their location. Even if it’s just “office Wi-Fi = in the office”.
From an IT perspective, it’s not exactly spying. It’s just reading the network connection.
But perception matters. Employees need to understand what’s being tracked, why, and what isn’t.
If handled well, this feature could be another tool for smarter collaboration.
If handled poorly, it could feel like Big Brother has joined your Teams channel.
For business owners, this is the key takeaway: Transparency is everything.
Before rolling out any kind of workplace monitoring or automation, explain it clearly. Tell your team what’s being used, what data it captures, and how it benefits them. Make it a conversation, not a surprise.
Is it about efficiency? Accountability? Or culture? The answer will look different for every team.
💬 What do you think? Would this kind of feature make your business run smoother, or is it a step too far into monitoring?