Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, announced during a livestreamed staff meeting on his Facebook page that within the next ten years, up to half of the company's 48,000 employees may be working from home. He stated that the COVID pandemic has significantly changed the way people work, and he expects remote work to become increasingly popular in the future. This decision by Facebook, the first of its kind among major tech companies, marks a significant departure from the traditional office-centric culture of the tech industry. By offering perks like shuttle buses and free meals to keep employees in the office, tech companies have historically discouraged working from home. If other large companies follow Facebook's lead, there could be a shift in tech employment away from expensive hubs like Silicon Valley, Seattle, and New York. The ability to work remotely may encourage tech workers who feel their high salaries are not enough to afford homes in San Francisco or San Jose to explore living in other regions of the country. Mark Zuckerberg's announcement about remote work follows similar decisions by Twitter and Square, both led by Jack Dorsey. Dorsey recently stated that employees at his companies can work from home indefinitely. Google has allowed employees to work from home until the end of the year, but has not made any permanent arrangements. It appears that remote work is gaining popularity among technology professionals. After Dorsey's announcement, there was a significant increase in Google searches for "Twitter jobs" according to Google Trends. Aaron Levie, the CEO of Box, a business technology company, stated on Twitter that the current emphasis on remote work is as transformative for the tech industry's future as the iPhone launch over a decade ago. Tech executives have long valued face-to-face communication as a key driver of creativity in developing successful products. They have constructed large campuses, such as the elaborate offices of Apple, Google, and Facebook in Silicon Valley, and the new Amazon headquarters in Seattle, to support this belief. Even before the pandemic, major tech companies were already looking to expand beyond their main offices, following in the footsteps of older companies like Intel. Amazon plans to open a second headquarters in Virginia, a move that may be expedited due to the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, there was much discussion about bringing people to work sites and creating affordable housing in the tech sector. According to Robert Silverman, a professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, this shift is a natural progression. The exodus of employees from major urban tech hubs, along with layoffs, could have significant local effects. For instance, housing costs in the Bay Area have decreased since the start of the pandemic, as reported by rental firm Zumper. Rent prices in San Francisco decreased by 7% in April, while in Menlo Park, where Facebook is headquartered, they dropped by 15%. Mark Zuckerberg has had concerns about the productivity of employees working remotely for a long time. Facebook used to offer cash bonuses to employees who lived within 10 miles of its main campus. In 2018, Facebook expanded its headquarters with new offices designed by Frank Gehry, including a large roof garden with over 200 trees. Recently, Facebook began moving into a 43-story office building it had leased in San Francisco, and there are talks of a significant office expansion in New York as well. In March, the coronavirus lockdown necessitated companies to have their employees work from home. Some tech companies, like Facebook, cleared out their offices even before local shelter-in-place orders were issued. Executives are now realizing that their remote workers have been more successful than anticipated. Zuckerberg noted that employees have maintained their focus while working from home. Facebook plans to start by permitting new senior engineers to work remotely, followed by current employees who can request permission to work from home if they have received positive performance evaluations. Beginning in January, Facebook will adjust employee compensation based on the cost of living in the areas where employees decide to reside. Facebook will verify employees' locations by monitoring where they access internal systems from. Zuckerberg believes this change will bring more advantages than disadvantages for the company. By enabling remote work, Facebook can enhance recruitment efforts, retain top talent, decrease the environmental impact of commuting, and increase the diversity of its workforce. Currently, Facebook, Square, and Twitter are leading the way in this initiative compared to others in the industry. Their work is primarily carried out through software code, which can be managed remotely. In contrast, Apple has many employees who are hardware engineers and must be present in the company's lab due to the strict secrecy surrounding its products. Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, announced in April that the main office in Silicon Valley would remain closed until at least June, with no further updates provided. Startups may also struggle with managing a remote workforce, as Silicon Valley offers a vast talent pool from which they typically draw their employees, despite the potential cost savings of allowing workers to reside in the Midwest. Many venture capitalists, primarily located in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, prefer the companies they invest in to be in close proximity. Snap, the company behind Snapchat based in Los Angeles, is allowing employees to work from home until September. Snap's CEO, Evan Spiegel, stated that he is continuously evaluating the situation and taking advice from health authorities on when to resume office operations. Spiegel emphasized the importance of flexibility in a rapidly changing environment, despite the pressure to provide definitive statements as a leader.