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| Facebook expands remote work policy |
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that while work can be done remotely, the company will allow all full-time employees to work from home.
Zuckerberg told employees that he plans to work remotely for at least six months. He said, "I find that working remotely gives me more space to think long-term and helps me spend more time with my family, which makes me happier and more efficient at work."
This differs from the plan Facebook announced in May 2020. At the time, the company said it would allow some employees, especially older and more experienced employees, to request permanent remote work.
Zuckerberg's statement comes from an employee memo outlining the company's plans for a hybrid desktop and remote setup.
Zuckerberg wrote: “We learned last year that work can be done anywhere. I am even more optimistic that remote work is possible on a large scale. Especially in the continuous improvement of remote video and virtual reality.
Work that cannot be done remotely usually includes work that works across all devices or through Facebook data center settings.
Zuckerberg also said that Facebook has begun enabling employees to request remote work across international borders.
Facebook expands remote work
Starting next Tuesday, the company will allow US employees to apply for remote work in Canada. It also allows Europeans to apply for remote work in the UK.
In January 2022, the company will enable its employees to move permanently between seven European countries.
The spokesperson said Facebook, which employs about 60,000 people, plans to reopen most of its US offices at 50 percent of production capacity in early September and could reopen fully in October.
Zuckerberg said that employees who want to work in the office must be present at least half the time. This helps keep the office alive and allows employees to enter the office to get the most out of it.
In addition, Facebook plans to hold regular face-to-face meetings for office staff and remote workers to help build the relationship.
Several Silicon Valley companies -- some of the first to move to remote work -- are now investigating how and how many offices to reopen.
When work is allowed, Twitter has given its employees the opportunity to go for good. Starting in September this year, Google will require its employees to decide whether to leave the office permanently, return to the office, or change their office location.
Apple has put in place a stricter policy requiring employees to return to the office at least three days a week starting in September, but employees have rejected it.