Okta will let most of its 2,600 employees work remotely permanently

[zarathustra]

Software company Okta will let most of its 2,600 employees work remotely permanently

By Brian Fung, CNN Business

 

Updated 4:44 PM ET, Thu August 27, 2020

 

 

(CNN Business)Workplace software company Okta said Thursday it plans to let most of its employees work remotely on a permanent basis, becoming the latest Silicon Valley company to adopt sweeping office policy changes amid the pandemic — and in the face of shifting US immigration policy.

Okta, which provides employers with worker-login software and has 100 million registered users, said as much as 85% of its workforce is expected to work remotely under the new policy, up from 30% before the coronavirus crisis. The company has roughly 2,600 employees.

The decision highlights how US businesses are increasingly bracing for a long pandemic. Google has extended its remote work policies until at least July 2021. Earlier this week, Airbnb said it will allow its employees to work remotely through next August, even if their local offices have reopened.

Okta's move shows how a workplace trend toward permanently supporting work-from-anywhere, which began during the pandemic with Twitter and Facebook, is accelerating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This spring, Okta told employees they could choose not to return to the office until a vaccine or effective treatment to Covid-19 has been developed. The announcement reflected partial steps toward a plan for remote work that Okta had started discussing the year before, said Todd McKinnon, Okta's CEO, in an interview. But the pandemic's enduring effects, along with recent US immigration restrictions announced by President Donald Trump, have sped up those plans.

"We're very fortunate in that the whole premise of our product is 'boundary-less work environments,'" McKinnon said.

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About 70 Okta employees have already sought to take advantage of the remote work policy. Among them are a handful of employees outside the United States who could not enter the country to work due to Trump's extended limits on temporary worker visas, which were announced in June and strongly opposed by the tech industry.

Another group of foreign-born employees asked to work remotely full-time because they feared the uncertainty created by the administration's policies, according to McKinnon, who described himself as "frustrated" by the rules.

"Directly because of what the US administration is doing, it's led them to not want to have to deal with the problem and we've been able to move them to other countries, like Canada," McKinnon said. "Maybe their visa is coming up in a year, or they're concerned about the green card process, so they're moving to a different country. But it's a shame for the US."

 

Other factors encouraging Okta to shift to permanent remote work included workers' growing comfort with technology and economic trends such as the high costs of living in New York and San Francisco, according to an internal presentation reviewed by CNN.

Okta's internal surveys showed strong demand for more work-from-anywhere flexibility. Roughly eight in 10 employees said they would feel as or more productive working remotely than in the office, according to data the company collected in 2019. Just 17% said they would prefer to work five days a week inside an office.

The new plan could also mean changes in worker pay. Like Facebook, which has signaled it will change compensation for those choosing to work outside major tech hubs, Okta said employees who wish to work remotely will undergo a similar approval process.

That process will account for local costs of living, how long an employee has worked at the company and an area's comparable benefits and salaries.

Still, said McKinnon, as more companies shift to permanent remote work, the less local geography will play a role in compensation and the more pay will again be defined by a worker's qualifications.

"You'll see more consistent salaries around the world," McKinnon said. "Facebook is going to hire an engineer in Raleigh, just like we will. The determinant will not be what the cost of living in Raleigh is, but what Facebook or Okta will pay."

[zarathustra]

1 minute ago, zarathustra said:

Software company Okta will let most of its 2,600 employees work remotely permanently

By Brian Fung, CNN Business

 

Updated 4:44 PM ET, Thu August 27, 2020

 

 

(CNN Business)Workplace software company Okta said Thursday it plans to let most of its employees work remotely on a permanent basis, becoming the latest Silicon Valley company to adopt sweeping office policy changes amid the pandemic — and in the face of shifting US immigration policy.

Okta, which provides employers with worker-login software and has 100 million registered users, said as much as 85% of its workforce is expected to work remotely under the new policy, up from 30% before the coronavirus crisis. The company has roughly 2,600 employees.

The decision highlights how US businesses are increasingly bracing for a long pandemic. Google has extended its remote work policies until at least July 2021. Earlier this week, Airbnb said it will allow its employees to work remotely through next August, even if their local offices have reopened.

Okta's move shows how a workplace trend toward permanently supporting work-from-anywhere, which began during the pandemic with Twitter and Facebook, is accelerating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsor content by BP

Looking beyond everyday solutions to the post-Covid-19 green recovery.

The pandemic might have lowered emissions, but it’ll take more than this temporary fix to have a lasting impact.

This spring, Okta told employees they could choose not to return to the office until a vaccine or effective treatment to Covid-19 has been developed. The announcement reflected partial steps toward a plan for remote work that Okta had started discussing the year before, said Todd McKinnon, Okta's CEO, in an interview. But the pandemic's enduring effects, along with recent US immigration restrictions announced by President Donald Trump, have sped up those plans.

"We're very fortunate in that the whole premise of our product is 'boundary-less work environments,'" McKinnon said.

close dialog

We read all day so you don’t have to.

Get our nightly newsletter for all the top business stories you need to know.

 

Sign Me Up

By subscribing you agree to our

privacy pol

About 70 Okta employees have already sought to take advantage of the remote work policy. Among them are a handful of employees outside the United States who could not enter the country to work due to Trump's extended limits on temporary worker visas, which were announced in June and strongly opposed by the tech industry.

Another group of foreign-born employees asked to work remotely full-time because they feared the uncertainty created by the administration's policies, according to McKinnon, who described himself as "frustrated" by the rules.

"Directly because of what the US administration is doing, it's led them to not want to have to deal with the problem and we've been able to move them to other countries, like Canada," McKinnon said. "Maybe their visa is coming up in a year, or they're concerned about the green card process, so they're moving to a different country. But it's a shame for the US."

 

Other factors encouraging Okta to shift to permanent remote work included workers' growing comfort with technology and economic trends such as the high costs of living in New York and San Francisco, according to an internal presentation reviewed by CNN.

Okta's internal surveys showed strong demand for more work-from-anywhere flexibility. Roughly eight in 10 employees said they would feel as or more productive working remotely than in the office, according to data the company collected in 2019. Just 17% said they would prefer to work five days a week inside an office.

The new plan could also mean changes in worker pay. Like Facebook, which has signaled it will change compensation for those choosing to work outside major tech hubs, Okta said employees who wish to work remotely will undergo a similar approval process.

That process will account for local costs of living, how long an employee has worked at the company and an area's comparable benefits and salaries.

Still, said McKinnon, as more companies shift to permanent remote work, the less local geography will play a role in compensation and the more pay will again be defined by a worker's qualifications.

"You'll see more consistent salaries around the world," McKinnon said. "Facebook is going to hire an engineer in Raleigh, just like we will. The determinant will not be what the cost of living in Raleigh is, but what Facebook or Okta will pay."

Pakka manolle mostly veellu

[Pitta]

[SinN0mbre]

44 minutes ago, Pitta said:

Arey pitta nannu office ki rammantunnaru next month nundi.. ee torture entra baabu second job ki monnane clear ayyindi line

[LadiesTailor]

Maa office lo kooda mostly remote permanent chesettu vunnaru... looks like we will be getting an option to choose remote vs office.... 

[Pitta]

1 minute ago, SinN0mbre said:

Arey pitta nannu office ki rammantunnaru next month nundi.. ee torture entra baabu second job ki monnane clear ayyindi line

2nd job ki yes chepeyi... office ramani antunna valatho phone lo matladuthu daggu 

[Pitta]

1 minute ago, LadiesTailor said:

Maa office lo kooda mostly remote permanent chesettu vunnaru... looks like we will be getting an option to choose remote vs office.... 

[LadiesTailor]

1 minute ago, Pitta said:

@Pitta content ki thagga gif veyyu.. pichi pichi vi vesi nee reputation pogottukoku 

[Catalpha]

Chalo India. 

[Pitta]

4 minutes ago, LadiesTailor said:

@Pitta content ki thagga gif veyyu.. pichi pichi vi vesi nee reputation pogottukoku 

[Amrita]

Smart ! I read that post covid most companies might change most roles permanently remote to save on infrastructure , office space etc . I wish I work for one such company . 

[Amrita]

22 minutes ago, SinN0mbre said:

Arey pitta nannu office ki rammantunnaru next month nundi.. ee torture entra baabu second job ki monnane clear ayyindi line

MAmmalni May nunche rammannaru essential services ane tag to . Last month governor all 8 hours mask required in office ani rule pettedappadiki debba ki work from home approved to everyone . Thanks to governor . Vellu vella over action essentials services ah valla kaashtama  🙏

[snoww]

3 minutes ago, Amrita said:

Smart ! I read that post covid most companies might change most roles permanently remote to save on infrastructure , office space etc . I wish I work for one such company . 

Some SFO based companies thinking to readjust employee pay depending on which state employee will relocate too. 

Will save huge money in that too. 

[Amrita]

1 minute ago, snoww said:

Some SFO based companies thinking to readjust employee pay depending on which state employee will relocate too. 

Will save huge money in that too. 

That’s actually nice . Intlonche ekkuva work chestam . I don’t miss working from office at all now . 

[AndhraneedSCS]

24 minutes ago, Catalpha said:

Chalo India. 

India lo 60 days kante ekkuva unte you have to pay taxes in India