What does "100% remote (anywhere)" actually mean?

General Discussion
#1

Hi, this might be a super naive question - but I don’t get what “remote” actually entails (besides not working in an office)

Let’s take an example:

This says that the job is “100% remote (anywhere)” and is from a NYC based company.

Let’s say I am a Snowflake developer based in Sri Lanka and I do not have the right to work in the US.

Let’s take 4 different examples:

  1. I have never been to the US and may never actually go to the US
  2. I am currently in the US employed by a different company but require a H1B sponsorship from Clever to officially work for them and stay in the US
  3. I am not currently in the US but may want to move to the US to work for Clever
  4. I have a Green Card/US Citizenship - so no worries here

Out of these 4 options which option does “100% remote (anywhere)” actually mean? I am guessing only Option (1) - but happy to get your thoughts.

Bonus q (Optional): If it is indeed option 1) Does the employer loose out on Tax benefits/etc by employing someone from a different country if it’s a 100% remote gig?

#2

Great question, @ssk08! That’s not a naive question at all. Your question actually reinforces the fact that “remote” can mean different things to different people and organizations.

The best answer I can give to your question is that you should check with the company directly to understand what remote work looks like for them from a practical and logistical perspective.

I took a brief look at their careers page and judging by the fact that it looks like they have employees all over the world, “100% remote (anywhere)” probably means that you can be employed from anywhere.

As an example, I work in People Operations at Doist and we are a fully remote company that hires people from anywhere in the world. However, your employment status is based on your location. Currently, we hire US-based people as W2 employees, while people based outside the US are hired as Independent Contractors (with all the same benefits/perks).

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#3

Hi @andrewgobran ,

Thank you for your answer! So 100% remote does actually mean 100% remote… haha :slight_smile:

And well done with Doist! Eager to read your answers in making things remote work, work.

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#4

Hey @ssk08, that’s a great question.

This particular doubt usually arise when you work for a foreign company. But when a company says that it is 100% remote, then they mean that you can do your job wherever you want.

But it is insisted that you mail the company regarding your doubts and get it cleared to be on the safe side considering your future.

At Springworks, we’ve announced permanent remote work just a few weeks back. You can see the message below from our CEO

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#5

Hi, @ssk08!

My name is Edrick Pomales, Talent Attraction Specialist at Clevertech.

As @andrewgobran mentioned so well, that is not a naive question at all. It’s a legitimate doubt and concern for both the company and the employee, and it is pivotal in understanding how that potential relationship will work. Just as Doist, we are a full remote company with employees all over the world. Yes, for incorporation purposes the company is registered as being in New York, but our entire team is global. I myself am writing to you from San Juan, Puerto Rico :slight_smile: Likewise, our team members in the US, as well as its territories, are W-2 type employees while all international (outside US) team members are independently contracted all while retaining the same benefits of US-based team members.

Being a consulting company, though we recruit people from all parts of the world, sometimes we’re bound to recruiting from specific locations due to client requests. Aside from that, we’re remote native and open to recruiting the best talent, regardless of geographic boundaries.

Thanks for taking the time to voice your concern. I hope I’ve added to the discussion as @andrewgobran did a great job of delving into the topic and explaining it before me.

Have a great day, week and Happy New Years!

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#6

Thanks Edrick - Very clear answer.

I choose the job posting at random to illustrate a question. Didn’t mean to single out CleverTech! :slight_smile:

I really like the Remote Native badge you have. Happy New Year!

#7

I like to add a small thing to keep in mind. 100% remote usually means you can work from anywhere in the world, but not necessarily whenever you want. More often than not, you still have to work at specific times. For a few of my clients, like MyHub, I can work whenever I want (except for business calls), but others give me a specific time frame within their business hours and time zone.

#8

@andrewgobran Going with independent contractors is usually the best way to take when it comes to short project workers, but for longterm work especially with IT Specialists and developers more and more companies are moving to partnerships with PEO companies so they can offer permanent employment contracts to the employees and the company has more control over those employees. Are you familiar with that set-up?

#9

Yes, that’s a great point, @zoya3. Both setups definitely have their strengths and weaknesses so it really comes down to your team’s particular needs. In the case of my team, our priorities are to be able to hire from anywhere in the world and fully control the recruitment experience, payroll, and benefits so we can provide sustainable value to our team and make sure that these practices stay aligned with our values. That said, it’s not a stretch to imagine that in the future we may end up partnering with the right PEO.

Since incorporating in the US in 2019, our US-based team members are hired as full-time employees and outside the US as contractors, but everyone is treated the same in terms of compensation, benefits, etc.

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#10

You are making a great point here that being in full control of your employees is important as well as providing the same experience for everyone no matter of the location. It seems like you have not found this to be the case when partnering with a PEO provider and I wonder what set you off? Let’s stay in touch, I would argue that based on the priorities you said our approach will fit very well to your company as our priorities are aligned :slight_smile: I’m happy to continue the discussion further.