Tech Companies Double Down on Remote Work As America Returns to the Office

They have been on the rise ever since, with the employees spread across the globe. Slack made a decision in 2016 to switch to permanent remote work-from-home for all of their employees. This is because it was proven that remote workers were more productive than their office counterparts. One of the primary reasons for this choice is that it would reduce the cost of office space. They will also be able to offer their employees more flexible hours and locations, which will help them retain and recruit talent. Five years ago, the pandemic forced millions of workers across corporate America to work from home.

• It will ask most of its staff to go back to work in their previous offices, but let others do their jobs elsewhere.
• One, more people are choosing to pursue a career as a freelancer and working remotely.
• “Even the executive team and I did some volunteer work ourselves. We really try to promote not just the positivity we create for folks who use our platform, but for the broader society that we live in and are supported by.”
• Companies in these sectors can take full advantage of the flexibility remote work offers that can lead to improved productivity.
• Many R&D employees and manufacturing specialists continue to report each day while others work from home full-time.
• “Capital One Financial Corporation has made a permanent work from home announcement for most of its employees at its US call centers for credit card services, even post-pandemic,” Malvika Gurung wrote for Trak.in.

Many benefits are often cited, including better work-life balance and reduced stress related to commutes. Flexibility empowers employees to structure their workday to best align with their personal needs, including managing family and/or other personal considerations. However, remote work can also present certain challenges, especially regarding feelings of isolation and difficulty disconnecting from work fully.

“Gett has also offered staff the opportunity to work remotely indefinitely should they wish. Employees can choose their preferred remote location or to work in the office, or a combination of the two.” Here are all of the companies that have made announcements that they’ll work from home permanently. Next to each company, you’ll find a link where fully remote jobs at that company are posted. An internal memo from JPMorgan that was leaked on Tuesday showed morale down among employees. The bank’s leadership attributed dissatisfaction with the company culture to its March decision, which required all employees to work full-time in the office.

This is a great example for businesses to name the companies going remote permanently. SAP found a way to offer remote work options to all 102,000 employees around the globe. While physical offices remain, the company intends to focus more on a trust-based workplace – no matter employees’ location.

“I am confident that the sale of the Spring District campus would have a positive impact on REI’s future—and yours,” REI President and CEO Eric Artz told employees in a video call. Our home is wherever we find ourselves doing our best work, pursuing our outdoor passions, serving our communities. “I expect, as we continue in this environment, we’re sort of going to end up in the 50% to 60% range over time, and I don’t think we’re atypical,” CEO Pat Gelsinger told CNBC. May 11, 2020″Nationwide plans to shrink from 20 physical offices pre-crisis, to just four,” Lee Clifford wrote in a Fortune interview with Nationwide CEO, Kirt Walker. Walker added, “We think the world is changing. We’ve got to take cost out of the system. We want to enable sustainable growth.” Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.

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Martha spins her liberal arts degree in political economy into writing on diverse topics ranging from healthcare to tech with bylines in the San Francisco Examiner, Berkeleyside, The News Virginian, and the blog of Gladstone Institutes. A special interest in urbanism led to attending her fair share of neighborhood meetings on urban planning projects and co-hosting the first season of the Market Urbanism Podcast. In her spare time, she travels the country working remotely from campgrounds, coffee shops, and (friends’) couches. Deutsche Bank moved New York operations to a smaller office and has not ruled out downsizing to smaller offices distributed throughout the U.S.

The distributed company model of Automattic

10up, which creates websites and tools for content creators like AMC, GoDaddy, Microsoft, and Motor Trend, manages distributed teams worldwide. It is a remote only company with a diverse team that enjoys the flexibility of the remote work environment. With eight offices in the U.S., the biotech company offers a hybrid work setup for many employees.

• Around 15 percent of Box’s workforce was already working remotely before the COVID-19 crisis hit.
• For others, it’s about proximity to nature, hobbies, or mental health resources.
• Companies switching to remote work can remain competitive in the hiring marketplace and continue to attract top talent.
• Some workers switch to a 100% remote form of work, while others remain in a hybrid form of work.

This huge change required employees to be self-sufficient, but it also allowed them to spend more time with their families. Zillow wanted more people to have the opportunity to work from home and achieve the flexibility of working remotely. As the company continued to grow, they were found new ways to evolve its culture to maintain that mission.

What is a remote company?

Formulating a fair remote work policy is a complex task that requires balancing flexibility and equality. Such policies embrace diverse scheduling to accommodate various time zones and personal commitments, giving employees a sense of control over their work-life synergy. Employers are leveraging technology to measure contributions and performance, ensuring that remote workers have access to the same opportunities as their in-office counterparts. Studying companies going remote permanently, we can conclude that companies are actively implementing the transition to a remote form of work.

“Live and Work Anywhere is certainly great because not all the best quality people in the world are within 50 miles of San Francisco,” Dave Stephenson, Airbnb’s chief business officer and head of employee experience, told Newsweek. Airbnb, which also allows employees to work remotely with its “Live and Work Anywhere” policy, describes a similar advantage of recruiting more qualified candidates, especially those located in non-tech hubs like Boston and Chicago. “People are looking for flexibility. They are looking for an environment where they can do their best work, but also focus on life,” the chief people officer said. A study published in Personnel Psychology last year showed that remote workers are more satisfied with their jobs, more committed to their organization and less likely to want to leave it.

Employees continue to call for adjustments to the plan, but in the meantime Apple’s offices in Cupertino, CA and Austin, TX remain open. These companies have adopted either remote-first or trust-based approaches that see employees working from home full-time or choosing when, and how, they join their team in the office. In November 2016, Square switched from a WFH (Work From Home) model to permanent remote work. This decision was made better to align the company with the changing world of work and provide flexibility for its employees. “While many tech companies are mandating a return to the office, Globant is opting for a fully remote work policy (work from home) for its nearly 30,000 employees spread across 33 countries.” “Instacart is becoming the latest Bay Area office to embrace remote work as a permanent fixture of the ‘new normal’ post-pandemic, announcing Thursday it will allow more than 70% of full-time employees to work from home on an ongoing basis.”

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As “commuting” vanished from office vernacular companies moving to remote work permanently and Zoom meetings became the norm, business leaders hailed flexible work options as the future of work. Instead, hybrid models with intentional structure are becoming the sweet spot. Some favour “async-first” environments where meetings are rare and deep work is prioritised.

In a blog post for the business, Dropbox announced the change to permanent remote work from home. In the table, you’ll see a few different classifications in the “policy” column. Others have offices but give their employees the option to work from home.

Tools like video conferencing, chat applications, and collaborative platforms can enhance communication and help teams stay connected. Regular check-ins and virtual meetings ensure that team members are aligned with project goals and deadlines, fostering a sense of unity even when physically apart. As companies discover the numerous benefits of a permanent remote work model, the landscape of the workplace is evolving dramatically. Embracing flexibility, adaptability, and innovation is crucial for both employees and employers looking to thrive in this new reality. While remote work may come with its own set of challenges, the successful examples set by companies like Shopify, Twitter, and Microsoft highlight the potential of this model to transform how we work permanently.

According to Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, a majority of young professionals today prioritise work-life balance and purpose over traditional career ladders. They’re aiming to build sustainable lives, and remote work is how they’re doing it. We created this guide to help other businesses through the same process we went through at Magic. We had the luxury of years of preparation and problem-solving to smoothly transition to a fully remote operation. We learned a lot along the way, and we’d love to help you take the same journey.

Over the past several weeks, we’ve learned a lot about what it takes for people to effectively perform roles outside of an office, and we will continue to learn as we go. Those who need to come to the office, such as security personnel and facilities, will continue to do so. Stepping out from similar financial firms, Synchrony tells employees they can’t come back to the office five days a week. As a result, leadership downsized office space with only 12 ‘hybrid hubs’ where employees can find desk space on a regular basis. Based in Connecticut and Texas, Indeed plans for permanent remote work post-pandemic. Leadership anticipates the majority of employees qualifying to work from home at least some of the time.

Rethinking office utilization

Three, the nature of work is changing, and more employees are looking for remote jobs that allow them to work from home at times. The rise of remote work has led to a decrease in demand for traditional office spaces, resulting in a surplus and potential devaluation of office properties in major cities. Businesses and real estate owners are considering repurposing these spaces into co-working environments. Additionally, organizations can promote work-life balance by encouraging employees to set boundaries between work and personal time. Implementing policies that prevent after-hours communications and promoting the use of vacation days can help reduce burnout.