21 major companies that have announced employees can work remotely long-term

Sundar Pichai
Google CEO Sundar Pichai. REUTERS/Brandon Wade/File Photo
  • Many major companies remain remote as the coronavirus pandemic wears on — and plenty have no immediate plans to return to the office.
  • Google extended its work-from-home policy to September 2021 and plans to accommodate remote work indefinitely, as well as try a program where employees work half the week from home. Microsoft similarly offered all of its employees the chance to work from home less than 50% of the time without approval.
  • Uber, American Express, and Airbnb have also extended their remote work policies. 
  • Following the pandemic, more than half of Americans want to continue working remotely, while two-thirds of companies may render their current work-from-home policies permanent.
  • Here's a list of companies that have already announced remote work as a long-term business strategy.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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In July, Google extended its employee work-from-home policy through June 2021. On Sunday night, the company extended that policy by three months. Starting in September 2021, Google employees will go back to the office part-time, working a minimum of three days in the office and the rest at home.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai
Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Business Insider

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that it "seems likely" that most employees won't be back in the office before June 2021 in a December 10 employee town hall meeting.

Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook. Karl Mondon/Digital First Media/The Mercury News via Getty Images

Source:Bloomberg

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Job-search giant Indeed told all 10,000 employees to remain remote until July 2021. The company also announced the possibility of making the arrangement more permanent on a case-by-case basis.

Chris Hyams — Company president Chris Hyams at a press conference announcing 500 new jobs at recruitment company Indeed in Dublin in 2017.
Indeed CEO Chris Hyams. Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images

Source: Indeed

Microsoft plans to begin reopening offices in January 2021, but will allow employees to work from home permanently on a case-by-case basis as of October 9. All employees will be able to work from home "partially" (less than 50% of the time) without approval.

satya nadella
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider, Business Insider, The Verge, Microsoft

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American Express extended its temporary remote work policy until June 30, 2021 in a September statement. The company is still reopening its offices in phases — the announcement allows colleagues the choice to keep working from home.

finance money bank banking banking credit card credit score investment payment american express
Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Source: American Express

On August 26, Airbnb extended its work-from-home policy until the end of August 2021. They are offering a $500 stipend to employees for home office equipment, along with a $500 quarterly credit to use specifically on Airbnbs.

Brian Chesky Airbnb CEO
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Source: Airbnb

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Earlier this summer, outdoor retailer REI announced that it is selling its brand new, unused 8-acre corporate campus in Bellevue, Washington. In an August 12 statement, CEO Eric Artz said the company will "lean into remote working as an engrained, supported, and normalized model" for employees.

REI campus
The REI Seattle campus that shuttered before it opened. REI Co-op

Source: Business Insider, REI, CNN

Uber told employees that they could work from home through June 2021 on August 4. Employees will also receive a $500 stipend to set up a home office.

Dara Khosrowshahi.JPG
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Source: Business Insider

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In April, Zillow CEO Rich Barton announced plans to work from home through the end of 2020. The company has since extended that indefinitely. On July 29, the company announced it would offer employees the ability to work from home permanently.

Zillow
Zillow is a real estate database. SOPA Images / Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Housing Wire, Zillow

Reuters, the international news organization, told employees they can work from home until January 2021.

thomson reuters
A Reuters sign in New York City. Photo Illustration by Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Source: Talking Biz News

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Twitter, based in San Francisco, told employees in May that they could work from home indefinitely. The company suspended business travel and in-person events for the rest of 2020.

Jack Dorsey
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

Source: Business Insider

Square, which is also led by Twitter's Jack Dorsey, adopted a similar policy around the same time and will allow employees to work from home indefinitely, even after offices reopen.

square jack dorsey
Square CEO Jack Dorsey (R) demonstrates the Square payment system in 2013. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees in late May that many would be able to work from home indefinitely, and plans to keep staff remote through 2020.

Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Christophe Morin/IP3/Getty Images

Source: New York Times

Salesforce announced in May that it will give all employees an option to work from home through 2020, even as its 160 locations worldwide open on different timelines.

Marc Benioff Salesforce
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. Business Insider

Source: Business Insider

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Seattle-based Amazon will allow employees to work from home through January 8, 2021, which was recently extended from October.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. David Ryder / Stringer / Getty Images

Source: Business Insider

Spotify told employees worldwide that they may continue working from home until 2021. Each office will open according to government guidelines city-by-city.

FILE PHOTO: A smartphone and a headset are seen in front of a screen projection of Spotify logo, in this picture illustration taken April 1, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Spotify is a music streaming service. Reuters

Source: Variety

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Japanese electronic giant Hitachi also allowed employees to work from home amid the pandemic, and committed to having 70% of its employees work from home permanently.

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Hitachi CEO Toshiaki Higashihara. TORU YAMANAKA / Getty Images

Source: CNN

Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange company based in the Bay Area, will make working from home a permanent arrangement. CEO Brian Armstrong announced in May that the company will offer office space for those who would like it following lockdown, but most roles will remain remote.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. Anthony Harvey/Stringer

Source: Coinbase

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Mastercard does not plan to implement a formal return to the office anytime soon. In May, it said employees can remain remote until they are comfortable returning.

FILE PHOTO: A Mastercard logo is seen on a credit card in this picture illustration August 30, 2017.   REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration/File Photo
A Mastercard credit card. Reuters

Source: Reuters

Research company Nielsen plans to convert its New York City offices into meeting spaces for employees as they continue to work from home even after the pandemic passes.

David Kenny IBM IGNITION 2016
Nielsen CEO David Kenny. Michael Seto/Business Insider

Source: New York Times

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Nationwide Insurance announced in May that it plans to downsize from 20 physical offices to just four following the pandemic. The majority of the company's employees will continue to work from home permanently.

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The coronavirus is accelerating the pace of innovation and testing out the resiliency of hundreds of thousands of employees. Nationwide

Source: Fortune

On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.

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