In dystopian move, Microsoft is adding Praise breaks into Microsoft Teams

Microsoft is activating some well-being features in Microsoft Teams in the next few days.

Based on Microsoft’s Viva employee experience platform, the Viva Insights app in Microsoft Teams will remind supervisors to send praise to fellow employees. Viva will offer scheduled praise reminders so supervisors can build a habit of sharing gratitude.

Praise will be visible to all other members of the team, and other employees can leave comments on the token of appreciation. This is highly unlikely to cause any internal friction.

The Viva app will also remind workers to engage in reflection, so they can be more aware of how they’re feeling and identify patterns over time. These recorded insights are personal and private to the individual.

Lastly, to help employees mindfully unwind, Microsoft is releasing their virtual commute feature so employees can wrap up their tasks at the end of the day and transition into their personal time with peace of mind.

Later this year Microsoft will also release an experience in partnership with Headspace to engage employees in guided meditation so they can relax their mind before a big meeting.

Read more about the company’s plans at Microsoft here.