Companies That Offer Remote Work From Home Jobs: Online Jobs
With the worst of the pandemic behind us, and life getting back to normal, there is still one huge overhang that refuses to go away — remote working. What started as a necessity has now become standard, at least for many companies.
Working remotely has become a smooth process these days, with techs like web conferencing seamlessly bridging the gap between the home and office. There are lots of great perks too – you might even live longer if you work from home.
If you’re looking for a remote job, be it fully working from home or hybrid, it’s good to know which ones allow it before you send in your application. Here are a few companies that allow you to work remotely from home, as well as a few that don’t.
Companies That Let You Work Remotely From Home
In June 2021, Facebook announced that the remote working policy that was deemed necessary during the pandemic had proved a success and that employees were free to work from home forever, provided that their roles were compatible with this approach. Anyone who decides that they want to work in person needs to commit to being in the office at least half of the time.
Those that do decide to head to the office HQ in Menlo Park will find it worth their while, with access to a barbershop, arcade, valet parking, dry cleaning, and more. But if you don’t want to make the commute, then hey, Facebook is cool with that too.
If you do opt to join Facebook and work remotely, you won’t be the only one. Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to work remotely for six months of the year.
Amazon
Amazon’s remote working policy isn’t quite as clear cut as some of its rivals. Currently, those who aren’t needed on site (sorry warehouse workers and delivery drivers) are free to work remote full-time.
In September 2022, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said that there were no plans to return to the office, stating: “I don’t really believe that we’re going to end up coming back to the office.”
While Jassy did acknowledge that team meetings can be more challenging over a video call, the company’s number one concern is the customer. If remote working doesn’t get in the way of this, it looks like it’s here to stay for Amazon employees.
Microsoft
Microsoft is a huge champion of hybrid work, and for a good reason. It sells a suite of software designed to facilitate communication between remote workers, notably the Microsoft Teams web conferencing platform, which has bridged the gap between home and office for many workers globally.
If you’re looking to join the tech giant though, make sure to ask if you’ll be allowed to work from home remotely. The company does allow it, but those who want to do it more than 50% of the time must have the request signed off by their manager. Make sure you’ve got it in writing before you sign that contract.
Airbnb
It tracks that Airbnb, a company that specializes in travelling and vacations, would let its staff work remotely. You don’t even need to be at home. As of April 2022, the company announced that employees were free to work from home (or the office, if they chose), permanently.
In addition, employees are also allowed to move anywhere within the country that they live in, with no negative impact on salary. This isn’t the case with all companies. For example, last year Google implemented a calculator that worked out how much their salary would be affected depending on where they were located.
You don’t even need to stick to your own country — the remote working policy allows staff to work from over 170 counties for up to 90 days a year.
Even Airbnb’s CEO is ditching the office, using the company’s properties as a temporary base.
Twitter’s approach to remote working is pretty clear-cut. Staff employed by the blue bird company are free to work from wherever they ‘feel most productive and creative. Whether that’s at home, in the office or a mix of both, it’s all fine as far as Twitter is concerned.
In a message to staff earlier in the year, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal noted that disturbing working would bring some challenges, but it’s clear that the company is putting employee needs above filling offices for arbitrary reasons.
It’s worth noting that that Elon Musk is still trying to purchase the company and that his views on remote working, as shown by the policy at Tesla, aren’t quite as generous.
Slack
Messaging platform Slack was ahead of the curve, announcing that employees could work from home permanently way back in June 2020, when the pandemic was only a few months in.
The company also stated that it would look to increasingly hire remote workers going forward — great news for all you non-commuters out there. CEO Stewart Butterfield recently confirmed that the company had hired “thousands of people who are in locations where we don’t have an office at all.”
ZenDesk
Zendesk claims to be one of the first companies to pivot to a fully remote workforce during the pandemic.
Initially, the company had planned for employees to return to the office two days a week, but after listening to staff, Zendesk announced that it was becoming a ‘digital first’ company in June 2022, with emphasis on allowing staff to be fully remote if they choose.
The benefits are compelling too. Staff are reimbursed for home office equipment and internet, have access to shared office facilities should they need it, such as WeWork, and also get an additional day a month off as part of ‘Recharge Fridays’.
Dropbox
Dropbox has adopted what it calls a ‘virtual first’ approach to work. Remote working is the norm at the company, though there are opportunities for face-to-face meetings with teams should they be required.
The company made the move way back in October 2020 and even has its own virtual first toolkit for anyone seeking answers on how the company handles remote working.
Uber
The nature of Uber’s business model means that the vast majority of those that work for the company simply won’t be able to work remotely (not until we’ve cracked self-driving cars, that is). However, those that have desk-based roles at the firm are free to work remotely half of the time.
The company states that it still believes in in-person collaboration, so those looking for a fully remote position are likely to be disappointed. However, those that are happy to work in the office half the time might appreciate the company’s hybrid policy, where employees can choose to work in the office five days one week, and then none the next.
Salesforce
Salesforce outlined its remote working policy way back in February 2021. There are three possible options. Firstly, what Salesforce dubbed “flex,” a hybrid approach where employees would come into the office one to three days a week to collaborate on projects, and work remotely the rest of the week. The second was fully remote, where employees who don’t live near a Salesforce site, or who don’t need to be physically in the office, are free to work from home indefinitely. Lastly, working in the office four to five days a week.
President of Salesforce, Brent Hyder, said that the traditional nine to five was “dead” and that the employee experience was more than “ping pong and snacks.”
Zoom
If anyone could make a remote work policy actually work, you’d think it would be web conferencing platform Zoom. The pandemic boosted the company into the stratosphere when suddenly it had the one thing everyone wanted.
In January 2022, the company announced that going forward, employees would be free to work fully remote, hybrid, or in the office.
The social media platform was quick to set its remote working policy in stone, just six months into the pandemic. Essentially, the company is happy for you to work from anywhere, at home, in the office, or anywhere in between.
Shopify
Shopify is very open to remote workers – in fact, it actively encourages them. On the company recruiting page, it makes clear that it promotes flexible working for the mental well-being of its employees.
In addition, Shopify is happy for staff to work abroad for 90 days of the year, as part of its Destination90 program.
Revolut
Fintech company Revolut revealed in early 2021 that it was moving to a permanent remote working set up. In addition, the firm is happy for staff to work abroad, 60 days a year.
Spotify
It must have been music to employees’ ears when Spotify told its 6,000+ strong workforce that they were free to work from home or in the office should they choose. The choice is really up to the individual.
The company stated that it was looking to maintain the “perfect balance of flexibility, employment security, and job fulfilment.”
Companies That Won’t Let You Work Remotely From Home
Before you get too cosy in your pajamas, beware. There are some companies that aren’t too keen on the idea of employees working from home. If you want a remote job, you’re going to want to avoid these.
Tesla
If you’ve ever thought of becoming part of Elon Musk’s empire, then you might need to get your shoes on and leave the house. Musk has fiercely fought against the hybrid working trend, to the point where he demanded that Tesla staff who want to work remotely must be in the office at least 40 hours per week. Those that didn’t were told to depart Tesla.
In fact, back in July, the company began tracking staff attendance, with those that don’t turn up receiving automated emails shaming them.
Apple
In stark contrast with rival Microsoft, Apple has been feuding with its staff publicly in 2022, trying to get them back into the office. It has had several false starts and is demanding that Apple employees return to the office for a mandatory three days a week.
However, the employees aren’t on board. Forming a group named Apple Together, they have campaigned for more flexible working arrangements and been very vocal in their criticism of management.
It looks like Apple CEO Tim Cook has a fight on his hands, but if you’re committed to being fully remote, we’d suggest waiting for this one out before you submit your resume to Apple.
Unlike Apple and Tesla, Google might let you work from home, but you’d be the exception. Much like Apple, the company has struggled to get its staff back to the office. Having previously mandated a three-day office week, which fell flat, the company relented slightly and softened its stance.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company would allow 20% of its workforce to be fully remote, with 60% in the office a “few days a week,” and the other 20% working in new locations.
So technically yes, your new Google job might allow you to work from home, but you’ll be one of the lucky ones. There might also be fewer Google jobs around in the near future, with the company issuing cuts and tightening the purse strings.
Is Working From Home Right for Me?
At Tech.co, we’ve been writing about remote and hybrid working since way before the pandemic. We also know what we’re talking about — everyone on the team works remotely to some degree. If you’ve never worked remotely, then you might question if you can make it work — we think you can, but there are a few things to consider:
Discipline – With no eyes on you at home, compared to being in an office, you do need to make sure you can work without being distracted. If possible, try to find a space where you can focus and, most importantly, resist that TV remote. One good tip is to dress as if you were going into the office — it helps put you in a better frame of mind than your old pyjamas do.
Collaboration – You might think that teamwork is tricky when working remotely, but there are so many tools at your disposal to help aid collaboration. Web conferencing is a key one — tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom allow you to catch up with your team, no matter where you are. Virtual meetings are a slightly different beast to real-life ones — read our web conferencing tips to get the most out of your next call.
Security – Offices are very secure environments, locked down by IT departments. This isn’t always the case for those working from home, and the rise in remote working has also seen a rise in cyberattacks. We suggest enlisting the help of a password manager to help keep track of all your passwords securely. A good VPN is also essential if you’re going to be working out of a cafe and using public Wi-Fi.
Working hours – Don’t feel guilty about taking regular breaks. Getting up and stretching your legs for 10 minutes can have great regenerative effects. Remember also to set a time to log off. With a nonexistent commute and your work always at your fingertips, you might be tempted to work later. Try and resist blurring the line between your work and personal life with a clear set work pattern, and let coworkers know when you’ll be signing off for the day.