FinTech Futures Jobs: Spotify reaffirms its work from anywhere rule for employees
It shouldn’t make the headlines, nor should it be a ground-breaking revelation, but when Spotify’s head of HR recently announced that the company doesn’t want to treat its staff like children, it got everyone’s attention.
Click on the image to see all the vacancies on the FinTech Futures Jobs portal
Spotify has had a “work from anywhere” policy in place since February 2021. It also gives its staff the agency to change their work mode every 12 months from working from anywhere, working to a hybrid schedule, or working at an office space full time.
This policy aims to create a flexible working environment, allowing staff to decide the most effective way to complete their work.
“A flexible working culture is built on trust, communication, collaboration, and connection and acknowledging that we’re all individuals, with different needs and rituals gives us the right frame of mind to let go of a few chosen truths and instead find what’s right for our business and our people,” Spotify notes on its company website.
“We have considered labour law, tax and insurance readiness for our workforce to be ‘working from anywhere’ – whether that’s working from home, in a café, hotel lounge or a co-working space. And, not forgetting the investment required to make sure the safety and growth of our people.”
Speaking about the company’s commitment to its flexible work, Spotify’s chief human resources officer, Katarina Berg had the following to say: “You can’t spend a lot of time hiring grown-ups and then treat them like children.
“We are a business that’s been digital from birth, so why shouldn’t we give our people flexibility and freedom? Work is not a place you come to, it’s something you do.”
And while many remote work naysayers might argue that facilitating a fully remote workforce has negative implications for collaboration, productivity and profit margins, Spotify is undeterred.
“It is harder and we all struggle to collaborate in a virtual environment,” Berg acknowledged. “But does that mean that we will start forcing people to come into the office as soon as there is a trend for it? No,” she added.
Berg’s words are surely music to the ears of anyone struggling with a return-to-office (RTO) mandate requiring them to spend part or all of the week back in the office.
In September, Amazon announced that all corporate workers in the US had to return to the office five days a week from January 2025 onwards. Similarly, in June, Dell revealed that any employee who opts to stay working remotely will not be eligible for a promotion or role change in the future.
Negotiating your own future
According to a recent study from International Workplace Group (IWG) and Mortar Research, hybrid employees are happier, healthier, and more productive than those who work in the office every day.
Additionally, 75% of those who work flexibly are less burnt out than those who work in an office full time, 78% are less stressed, 72% are less anxious and 79% are less drained.
All of the above should be enough to convince employers that enforcing strict RTOs is counterproductive, but is there anything you can formally do if your own employer is retreating from its remote work policy?
UK employees have a statutory right to request flexible working however this does not automatically mean your employer will approve your request.
You could also try and negotiate your own flexible work arrangement directly with your manager, even if it goes against the overall company policy.
Known as ‘hushed hybrid’, managers are increasingly bypassing formal RTOs and allowing certain staff members to work remotely ad hoc.
However, relying on clandestine work arrangements can only take you so far. If maintaining workplace flexibility is important to you and your employer is dedicated to returning everyone to the office, your optimal choice is to find new roles at firms with established remote working policies.
Whether you’re looking for a fully remote role or want to work for a company that offers flexibility around work location, focus your search on the Fintech Futures Job Board. It features thousands of UK-based jobs at companies actively hiring, including the three highlighted below:
- Software Developer – FinTech, client server, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Audit Manager / Senior Manager, TPF Recruitment, Orpington
- Senior Product Manager – AI/ML, GSK, London
To see more new job opportunities, visit the Fintech Futures Job Board today.
