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FACEBOOK HAS SAID it will give employees the option of sticking with remote work
for the long term, even offering to help some interested in moving to other countries.
Beginning on 15 June, Facebook will let any employee whose job can be done remotely ask to work that way permanently, the internet giant told AFP.
“We believe how we work is more important than where we work,” Facebook said while
sharing an update to its remote work policy.
“We want to be the place where people can do the best work of their careers while ensuring a consistent experience for employees no matter where they’re located.”
Facebook and other Silicon Valley firms shifted to remote work early in the pandemic, relying on the internet tools they create to get jobs done.
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has said he expects the shift to remote work to be a lasting one at the leading social network, which plans to look for employees able to do their jobs from wherever they happen to live.
Facebook recently began reopening its offices after a yearlong pandemic shutdown, but
without perks such as free food and commuter shuttles.
The rollout of vaccines and improving health conditions were cited as reasons for gradually welcoming employees back to abandoned campuses.
Facebook said work schedules for those returning to offices will be flexible, but its guidance is for people to be on-site at least half the time.
The leading social network said it is on track to have most of its US campuses at 50% capacity by early September.
Some Facebook offices in Europe and Asia are open, according to the California-based firm.
Safety protocols in place include wearing face masks and keeping one’s distance at work,
along with routine Covid-19 testing, according to Facebook.
As of 15 June, Facebook will also expand remote work across international borders, supporting moves from the United States to Canada as well as shifts to Britain from other parts of Europe, the company said.
Google and Microsoft have unveiled similar hybrid schemes for workers, while some firms such as Twitter have told employees they can work remotely indefinitely.
Apple is reportedly facing employee resistance to its plan to bring employees back to the office. The iPhone maker has called for employees to return three days a week starting in September, according to the tech news site The Verge.
But some Apple workers have signed a letter calling for more flexibility for employees who have been doing their jobs remotely for more than a year.
The Apple letter said the remote system works well and gives employees better work-life balance, while accommodating those with special needs and reducing the risk of contagion.afp
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You really have to now question the need for middle management.
@iohanx: not as big an issue in tech companies
@iohanx:
With so many Civil and Public Service employees also working from home, I think they might have a bigger question to answer than any private company for the same reasons?
So after FG allowed them turn most of the docks into offices and pay no corporate tax, they’ll eventually close most of those offices and not pay income tax either. Thankfully the EU might force them into paying us corporate tax, even tho we’ll have pascal donoghue actively doing everything he can to not collect it. Would be cool to have some good politicians.. some day maybe. If I got even one in my lifetime it would be somethin.
@Rob Gale: Well I dont see how FG couldve foresaw this radical shift in the way we work. And all cities need a CBD anyway.
But Facebook wont close their main office. All these giants still want a flagship hub in the city centre to make their presence known and felt. However the smaller secondary offices will most likely not be needed anymore
@Rob Gale: WFH begs the question of how many people actually want to live in Dublin if they have the choice of living anywhere in the country.
@Rob Gale: Office space is not being let go by many IT companies. Although some companies may eventually let go a building or 2, primary HQs are being kept for hot-desking, meetings, etc. Not everyone is choosing to work-from-home forever – in fact many want to return to the office some days per week.
In addition, these moves to flexible teleworking arrangements do not have an impact on income or corp tax – the employees remain contracted and tax-resident in Ireland, taxes are paid in Ireland. Working from another EU country for a few months per year should not have an impact on taxes, it could even have a beneficial downward effect on rents and home prices. (Why rent or buy an expensive city centre apartment when you can dip between locations throughout the year?)
@Rob Gale: these companies pay far more corporation tax here than is earned here as it is. The EU will force them to pay that tax to the Germans and French. You looney lefties will have us all back in mud huts.
@Chris Mc: But we’ll all be in the same mud huts
WFH just won’t happen for too many, simply cos it would make middle management redundant and the need to have a manager or supervisor around to annoy everyone to meet targets, so they can claim the credit.
@Michael Healy: Capitalism is ruthless, if upper management can save a few pennies then middle management will be wiped out in an instant.
@Rochelle: middle management are enforcement for the top dogs, so they will always be kept around to keep the pressure on workers
@Rochelle: If you mean managers who manage remote teams then they will continue to exist. They in turn report to directors / senior directors and on up the chain it goes. This isn’t new. I’ve worked for a large MNC for over 20 years. We’ve been encouraging remote working for about 10 years now and the structure hasn’t changed in that time. I can’t see any reason why it would suddenly change because of the pandemic.
@Declan Doherty: the structure you mentioned might work in some specific cases, but the in the majority of modern organisations and particularly where working from home is ongoing its not efficient or effective. Organisations who don’t realise that are the ones who will be pushing to get back to offices full time sooner or later. As I said it may work for your company and what you do which is cool for you then.
What are the implications of this for tax purposes? Would you still pay tax in Ireland and none to the country where you are living, vice versa, or both??
@Kevin Collins:
Exactly Kevin.
How does working for a company abroad remotely work, from a tax and social insurance perspective? What’s the story with visas, immigration in the host country?
Given the UK’s stance on immigration, I doubt they’ll allow remote Facebook workers from other countries live and work in the UK.
Also Americans cannot live and work in Canada without the appropriate work visa – as they pay taxes to the US government, they cannot avail of Canadian health and social welfare benefits.
Very pertinent issues – doubt somehow Mark Zuckerberg or the rest of Facebook have thought them through….
@Trish Boland: Frankly, in the time you spent typing that you’d have had your answer from a quick search.
@Trish Boland: you pay tax where you’re a resident and living in, simple. If they move country they have to get a new contract and residency there. Working remotely would only be allowed 30 days in any other country and that’s up to the company to approve, e.g. they might not allow working in countries where they have no legal entity
@Zenith Quinn:
30 days in another country would be as a posted worker not a remote one – in this case they’re paid from their home country and retain all benefits, they have zero entitlements in the host country.
Remote working is an entirely different kettle of fish, would be generally longer than 30 days, creates a legal quagmire in terms of employment laws, taxes and benefits, visa/residency issues, etc..
Mark Zuckerberg can say whatever he wants regarding remote working abroad – all the above are outside his or Facebook’s remit, they’re the host countries’ issues to deal with as they see fit.
Doubt somehow many companies here will agree to this, given what’s involved.
@Trish Boland: didn’t Zuckerberg say they would pay remote workers rates based on their location so those who choose to move could have financial decisions to consider
@Trish Boland: agreed. This is a very complex issue
@Elaine Phelan: what multinationals are doing is: do you santo to work in Spain? We’ll get you a Spanish contract from our Spanish entity and you won’t change you job spec. Even if – for example – you are an accountant, and the finance team is largely in Dublin while in the Spanish offices there are only local marketing and salespeople. Can’t work for entities that only have a presence in Ireland, but a workaround may be converting the full time employment to freelancing from abroad with the “employee” invoicing the company. This can’t go on forever though as it may be considered as bogus self-employment but it can be good for a limited time and linked to projects.
@Elaine Phelan: what multinationals are doing is: do you santo to work in Spain? We’ll get you a Spanish contract from our Spanish entity and you won’t change you job spec. Even if – for example – you are an accountant, and the finance team is largely in Dublin while in the Spanish offices there are only local marketing and salespeople. Can’t work for entities that only have a presence in Ireland, but a workaround may be converting the full time employment to freelancing from abroad with the “employee” invoicing the company. This can’t go on forever but it can be good for a limited time and linked to projects.
this is prob only the start and not new, now companies will prob not need to hire actually in country of residence and therefore can pay less and local rates, this trend is not new where previous west coast companies moved states or countries for cheaper labour, this is not necessarily good for Irish workers as now paid a-lot higher than Indian, Romanian, African counterparts. be careful what you wish for especially when speaking about US companies IMHO
Marking use of all those lovely tax loopholes….
Facebook will start paying you less if you move to a cheaper area and they use IP geolocation to find where you are logging in from. Best job would be to proxy all your traffic through some expensive place and live on an impoverished pacific island with a satellite connection
The biggest issue is that companies that do this will have to start adjusting wages based on where remote workers have moved to – based on the local cost of living. Facebook has already said they plan to do this.
Otherwise it quickly becomes a mess: Why pay high Irish-level wages to hire an Irish person living in Spain when they can hire a Spanish person fluent in English for a third of that?
My Aussie employer is now allowing people to work from anywhere in Oz. The head of my department is moving from Melbourne to Brisbane, keeping his role. Legal reasons mean that we are not allowed to live outside of Australia. Lots of people are moving away from the big cities to the country.
@A Well Known Comical Stereotype:
That makes sense, anywhere in the country is no issue.
Abroad there’s many legal and .financial issues to contend with.
I was wfh every now and than, even before the pandemic. Bad weather days, overslept, kids sick, you name it… just an email “hi guys, I’m wfh today!”. And even from abroad. I spen all last 5 summer in Italy as well as Xmas break and a week every now and then. Just be sure I am below the 183 days p.a. then you’re all set !
I wish this would be normality for everyone.
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