Across much of America, workers fear their options for remote work are slipping away.
The news cycle churns with headlines about companies recalling workers to the office, from Amazon to Starbucks. President Donald Trump ordered federal employees back to the office earlier this year.
But remote work is alive and well, at least for now. Five years into the pandemic workplace revolution, roughly 38% of full-time American workers remained partly or fully remote in August, down from 44% two years earlier, according to federal data.
Predictably, perhaps, return-to-office mandates seem more popular with employers than employees. Research shows many workers are quietly defying the orders. Some see an emerging double standard, with rank-and-filers confined to the office while bosses work where they wish.
Against that backdrop, many job-seekers are searching for companies that remain committed to the work-from-home philosophy.
In a Sept. 19 report, the remote-work site FlexJobs lists 20 companies that have made flexible work a permanent model. All 20 have remote-work policies, which typically guarantee some combination of hybrid and fully remote positions.
“I think that the level of remote work is still far, far higher than the levels we saw in 2019, leading into the pandemic, which exploded remote work opportunities,” said Toni Frana, a career expert manager at FlexJobs.
These 20 companies made remote work permanent
Here are mini-profiles of 20 companies with permanent remote-work plans.
Affirm. The financial services firm markets itself as a “remote-first” company, with remote work built “into the DNA of how we do business.” But if offices are your thing, Affirm has them in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Warsaw, Madrid and London.
Allstate. “Good work can happen anywhere,” the insurance giant says on its website. In a 2020 survey, 95% of Allstate workers said they liked the flexibility of remote work. The company says it reaps twice as many applications for positions with flex-work options.
Amgen. This biotech firm says it offers “a flexible workplace approach, based on lessons learned during the pandemic and employee feedback.” Many employees can “choose, with manager approval, to work fully remote from anywhere within their existing assigned country.”
Amplify. The curriculum and assessment company offers this credo on its career page: “Remote first. Brooklyn based. In person sometimes.”
Atlassian. Early in the pandemic, this software firm told employees they could work from home permanently. The company says its approach “empowers Atlassians to choose where, when and how they deliver their best work.”
BELAY. This firm offers remote staffing services. Not surprisingly, BELAY itself embraces remote work, and has for a while. “Since 2010,” its website says, “we’ve proven that culture isn’t tied to a shared space but to a shared vision.
CrowdStrike. A cybersecurity technology company, CrowdStrike offers a remote-first work model and pledges to cultivate “a connected culture for every employee, no matter where they are in the world.”
Dropbox. The global file-sharing and collaboration platform adopted a “Virtual First” model early in the pandemic, pledging that remote work “will be the primary experience for all employees and the day-to-day default for individual work.”
HubSpot. In the pandemic years, this sales and marketing platform moved from “remote-friendly” to “remote-first.” The firm now offers a range of work options, from mostly in the office to mostly at home.
Humana. The health insurance provider embraces a range of home- and office-based work models. Its website promises, “No matter where an employee works—from home, from the field, from our offices, or from somewhere in between—they’ll feel welcome here.”
Kraken. This global cryptocurrency platform offers a “remote-first and work from anywhere” model, with a “competitive salary, regardless of where you decide to work.”
Pearson. An educational publishing firm, Pearson follows a remote-first philosophy. Its website states, “We value the well-being of our people. That’s why, for most roles, we offer flexibility in how and where we work—be it from home, an office, or during non-traditional hours.”
Pinterest. The website and social media platform offers a flexible work model dubbed PinFlex: “For roles that can be performed anywhere, we encourage employees to work where they choose within their country or region, whether that’s at home, at a Pinterest office, or another virtual location.”
Reddit. In 2020, the aggregation and social media platform adopted a flexible work model. “Moving forward,” the company said, “teams and team members will have flexibility to explore where they work: in the office, remotely, or a combination of the two.”
Ryder. In the pandemic years, this transportation and logistics company shifted toward remote and hybrid work.
Spotify. The Swedish streaming service has adopted a “Work From Anywhere” program, pledging, “we embrace and support your choice to work either mostly at home or from one of our offices, with the understanding that each will bring a different experience.”
StackAdapt. A marketing and advertising platform, StackAdapt offers a “Work & Wander” policy “that embraces flexible work arrangements around the globe.”
Stride, Inc. This education management company says 90% of its workforce is remote: “We give you the time and flexibility you need to be your best self, professionally and personally.”
Twilio. A cloud communications company, Twilio is remote-first. A company survey found that 88% of “Twilions” felt productive working remotely, and 99% didn’t want to return to the office fulltime.
Vista. This design and marketing company is remote-first. Its website offers, “Whether you love being able to pick your kids up from school or you just believe sweatpants are the best pants, our remote-first environment gives you more freedom and flexibility than ever.”