Social media giant Facebook Inc. is reportedly planning to allow staff to continue working from home even after the Coronavirus pandemic ends. Eligible staff will be able to apply for permanent work from home, although subject to their relevant manager’s approval.

The advent of the COVD-19 outbreak had compelled various companies to adopt remote working to avoid acquiring the virus. Several Silicon Valley executives too were quick to opt for remote working last year, with some experts claiming that it could continue even after the pandemic ends.

Vice President of People Growth at Facebook Brynn Harrington was quoted saying that some employees have been thriving while working from home and will be looking forward to continuing doing so. She added that the company intends to bring back employees who are facing challenges while working remotely.

After more than a year of working from home, Facebook intends to reopen its Silicon Valley offices from May this year. Though the company predicts that its largest offices will not reach the 50% capacity until September.

According to Facebook, the shift to permanent remote working is not predominately to save costs. The tech behemoth has, however, hinted towards the fact that remote workers might receive lower pay, which is apparently based on where they choose to work and live.

In May 2020, Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg had estimated that around 50% of the company’s employees will continue to work from home for the next five to ten years.

Twitter’s Jack Dorsey had also made the headlines during this time for allowing his staff to opt for a permanent remote working, with Microsoft’s Satya Nadella following suit.

Now, as companies look beyond the pandemic, many are yet to determine whether to bring staff back to offices or allow them to continue to work from home. For instance, American tech giant Google has recently announced that it will be providing a timetable for moving employees back to office working.

Source Credits –

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56759151