During a staff meeting livestreamed on his Facebook page, Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Facebook, stated that within the next decade, around half of the company's 48,000 employees may work from home. He acknowledged the impact of COVID on our lives, including the way we work, and predicted that remote work will continue to grow in popularity. This decision by Facebook, the first of its kind among major tech companies, marks a significant change from the traditional business culture of large office spaces. In the past, tech companies have incentivized employees to stay in the office with perks such as shuttle buses, cafeterias, and personal services. If other companies follow suit, there may be a shift in tech employment away from expensive hubs like Silicon Valley, Seattle, and New York. The ability to work remotely from home may give tech workers more incentive to consider living in other parts of the country if they find their salaries are not enough to purchase a home in San Francisco or San Jose. Mark Zuckerberg recently made a similar announcement to allow employees to work from home, following decisions made by Twitter and Square, led by Jack Dorsey. Google has allowed employees to work from home until the end of the year, but has not made any permanent plans. It is clear that remote work is gaining popularity among technology professionals. Following Dorsey's announcement, there was a significant increase in Google searches for "Twitter jobs," as reported by Google Trends. Aaron Levie, the CEO of Box, a business technology company, stated on Twitter that the shift towards remote work is just as revolutionary for the tech industry as the introduction of the iPhone over a decade ago. Tech leaders have long valued face-to-face communication as a key factor in fostering creativity and innovation in product development. These beliefs were reflected in the elaborate campuses of major tech companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Even before the pandemic, large tech companies were already looking to expand beyond their main offices, following in the footsteps of older companies such as Intel. For example, Amazon plans to open a second headquarters in Virginia, a move that could be expedited due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to Robert Silverman, a professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, before the pandemic, there was a focus on bringing employees to work sites and creating affordable housing in the tech sector. However, with the current situation, there may be a shift in this trend. The exodus of employees from major urban tech hubs, along with layoffs, could have significant local effects. For instance, housing prices in the Bay Area have decreased since the start of the pandemic, as reported by Zumper. Rental prices decreased by 7% in San Francisco and 15% in Menlo Park, where Facebook is located. Mark Zuckerberg has been concerned about the productivity of employees working remotely, and previously offered cash bonuses to those living within 10 miles of headquarters. Facebook recently expanded its main campus with new offices designed by Frank Gehry, including a large roof garden. The company also leased a 43-story office tower in San Francisco last year and is currently discussing expanding its office space in New York. In March, due to the coronavirus lockdown, companies had to send employees home. Tech companies like Facebook cleared out their offices before local shelter-in-place orders were issued. Now, over two months later, executives are finding that their remote workers exceeded expectations in performance. Zuckerberg noted that employees stayed focused while working from home. Facebook will first let new senior engineers work remotely, then allow current employees to request to work from home if they have good performance reviews. Beginning in January, Facebook will be adjusting employee compensation based on the cost of living in the areas where they reside. Facebook will verify employees' locations by monitoring where they log in to internal systems. Mark Zuckerberg believes that this change will be more advantageous than problematic for the company. By allowing remote work, Facebook can enhance recruitment efforts, keep valuable employees, lessen the environmental impact of commuting, and increase the diversity of its workforce. Currently, Facebook, Square, and Twitter are leading the way in this more progressive approach compared to other companies in the industry. Most of their work involves software coding, which can be managed from a distance. Unlike Apple, where many employees are hardware engineers who require access to the company's lab due to the strict secrecy surrounding its products. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, announced in April that the main office in Silicon Valley would remain closed until at least June, with no further updates. Startups may struggle with managing a remote workforce, as being in Silicon Valley provides access to a large pool of talented workers, despite the potential cost savings of allowing employees to live in the Midwest. Many venture capitalists, mainly located in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, prefer the companies they invest in to be nearby. Snap, a Los Angeles-based company known for Snapchat, allows employees to work from home until September. CEO Evan Spiegel mentioned in an interview that he continually evaluates the situation and takes advice from health authorities on when to reopen. Spiegel emphasized the importance of flexibility in a rapidly changing environment, as people desire certainty during uncertain times.