Facebook is the latest big tech company to set forward its plans for a permanently remote workforce.
This follows similar announcements by companies including Square, Shopify and Twitter who are putting into place a permanent WFH culture.
A large number of Facebook employees have been working remotely since the start of the pandemic and on Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg during a livestream said that up to 50% of the company could be permanently remote in the next 10 years. This was however not a goal, but more a shifting trend that Facebook would adapt to.
Post-pandemic, employees working at Facebook may want to choose to stay at home and work remotely, which is a possibility – and the realization at big tech firms is that employee productivity could actually go up while reducing operating costs.
Currently, 95% of Facebook’s employees are working remotely, and this is set to be extended through till January 1, 2021.
The implications for Facebook and other companies is massive. With remote workforces being prioritized and offices becoming redundant, could remote employees become the mainstream?
Facebook is set to start hiring permanent remote employees in its shift where people will not be required to attend a physical office space.
“I think we’re going to be the most forward-leaning company on remote work,” said Zuckerberg.
Joining other big tech companies, Facebook’s new push for a remote workforce is just the start of an industry-wide shift in tech to remote. And this could extend into other industries from advertising through to entertainment and events.
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