Technology

Facebook to allow all employees work abroad for 20 days annually

Gareth Lambe anticipates employees will typically halve their time between home and office

Facebook Ireland employees, who are eligible, can relocate full-time to France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK, he said. Photograph: iStock

Vivienne Clarke
Fri Jun 11 2021 - 15:47

Facebook employees can work abroad for 20 days of the year, the head of its Irish operation has said.

The news comes after the social media giant yesterday said some employees could work full-time from abroad from next year.

That option, however, will not be available to all staff at Facebook Ireland, as some roles, such as those working in data centre operations will need to work locally, while there will be tax and compliance issues that will prevent others from being able to relocate.

However, Gareth Lambe, head of Facebook in Ireland, said all employees will have the option to work abroad for 20 business days of the year, in addition to any business trips they may have to take.

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Mr Lambe said Thursday’s announcement on working abroad means greater flexibility for workers, and he anticipates employees will typically spend 50 per cent of their time at home and 50 per cent in the office.

Facebook Ireland employees, who are eligible, can relocate full-time to France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK, he said. Mr Lambe said they had no indication as yet how many people would be eligible to relocate, and how many would be interested.

Mr Lambe said Facebook is going to have “significant evolution” in Ireland, and is on target to take on 700 extra staff this year. He said that the remote working option may mean jobs growth in Ireland won’t be as fast, but it will still be significant and he said that “net growth will still be extremely large.”

There is no change to plans for a new campus at Ballsbridge, Dublin, which would accommodate up to 7,000 staff on the site of the former AIB bank centre. Mr Lambe said that working from home, and a vibrant office life can co-exist.

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