Zuckerberg: "Facebook to Have Half of Its Employees Working Remotely Within 10 Years"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Facebook plans to have half of its employees work remotely within the next 10 years at the latest. This move joins the ranks of IT companies that have successively announced the expansion of remote work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to CNBC and other media on the 21st (local time), Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, announced during a weekly video streaming session with employees that the company will readjust its operations over the next decade to focus on remote work.

Initially, this will apply first to senior engineers, and then expand remote work to non-engineering staff. For new employees, remote work will start in the United States, and they can choose to work remotely with their team leader's approval. Employees planning to work remotely must report to the company by January 1 of next year.

CEO Zuckerberg said he expects that within 10 years, half of Facebook’s employees will be working remotely. Facebook currently has about 45,000 employees. He stated that Facebook’s ability to continue working despite sudden restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic gave confidence in the remote work model, and that the company had been considering remote work even before the pandemic. He added that internal surveys at Facebook showed that the remote work option was popular among employees and said, "I think it is going better than expected." He also emphasized that it would help increase diversity.

However, CEO Zuckerberg noted that wages could be reduced considering the lower cost of living in areas where remote work is performed. He said, "In regions with significantly lower living costs, wages tend to be somewhat lower."

Previously, social networking service (SNS) Twitter, e-commerce company Shopify, and mobile payment company Square also announced plans to expand remote work. Twitter, which started remote work in March, announced on the 13th that it will support employees working remotely if they wish even after the end of COVID-19. Square also indefinitely allowed remote work on the 18th, stating, "We want employees to work where they feel creative and productive." Google, which planned to return to normal work from the 1st of next month, extended its remote work period by seven months.