Microsoft Teams is rolling out a new functionality that can pinpoint a worker’s location, potentially transforming it into a new form of office oversight. This enhancement, anticipated in December, will enable the platform to automatically recognize when an employee comes into the office by tracking their connection to the building’s Wi-Fi. If an employee departs the premises, Teams will update their work location as soon as it detects the disconnection.

While this may come across as intrusive, the feature will be turned off by default according to Microsoft’s 365 roadmap. Nonetheless, tenant administrators have the ability to activate it and mandate that users opt in, giving employers the authority to determine how closely Teams oversees their workforce.

This capability could be advantageous for managers aiming to avoid searching the office for colleagues. However, as the trend of returning to the office increases, it also offers employers a straightforward method to monitor attendance. How the feature ascertains location remains unclear, but a similar initiative at Amazon encountered backlash when employees manipulated their home Wi-Fi SSIDs to mimic the corporate network. That strategy might not succeed this time.

The location tracking feature is one of several new capabilities being introduced in Teams, including the option to save messages in chats and customizable keyboard shortcuts.