Zopa lets employees work remotely up to 120 days of the year as Tesla tells staff ‘come into office or lose your job’
LONDON, ENGLAND — Corporations both giant and small in the UK and around the world have been steadily becoming split over the issue of remote jobs.
At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, working from home became the norm and was, in many cases, mandated by governing bodies.
Some organisations, like the UK's Zopa, have embraced remote jobs as the future of the working world.
But with two years of the pandemic in the history books, vaccination numbers on the rise and government work-from-home mandates largely becoming extinct, many companies that once thrived in the remote work environment are changing their tune.
On the contrary, other, more progressive organisations have fully leaned into 100% remote or even hybrid work environments, rightly acknowledging that the modern workforce has changed and pledging to evolve with the new future that has been shaped by unexpected circumstances.
But the question remains: which side will UK companies en masse take as the world moves towards a post-pandemic phase.
‘Remote jobs are the way of the future’
One of the latest UK companies to throw its weight behind remote work is Zopa, a financial services company.
Zopa has moved to allow its employees to work remotely — overseas, to boot — for nearly half a year every year.
Some organisations, like the US' Tesla, are requiring workers to return to the office or face either dismissal or lower pay.
Workers will be allowed to work and live abroad for up to 120 days with no change in their pay. This is a revolutionary stance during a time when some other UK companies have been threatening to dock pay of workers who refuse to return to office.
As she explained the reasoning for allowing these remote jobs to not only stay but be given even more leeway, Zopa Chief People Officer Helen Beurier said, “We recognise the world of work is changing.
“The concept of work-life balance is no longer relevant. There isn’t really a difference between work life and your personal life.”
This as other large companies like the US’ Tesla have either outright or in effect told employees to return to the office or stay at home with no job at all.
What’s the fate for UK remote jobs?
With the push-and-pull over remote working, it remains to be seen which direction the UK will generally follow.
At Remote Worker, we strongly believe work-from-home is here to stay and continue to encourage UK organisations and jobseekers to embrace the ample benefits to be found in this form of labour.
Find the latest remote jobs in the UK via Remote Worker.
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