A new study has shed light on the growing trade-off between salary and flexibility in the tech industry.
According to data from a recent survey of nearly 1,400 technology professionals who received at least two job offers, workers are increasingly willing to accept lower pay in exchange for the option to work from home.
The findings reveal that applicants who chose remote or hybrid positions accepted salaries averaging 25% lower than offers for comparable in-office roles.
The results underscore how the subjective value of remote work — including flexibility, reduced commute time, and better work-life balance — is now influencing real financial decisions among job seekers.
Despite this trend, many major companies are moving in the opposite direction, tightening remote work allowances that were introduced during the pandemic.
Google Tightens Remote Work Rules
Google has become the latest tech giant to revise its work-from-home policy.
According to an internal memo obtained by CNBC, the company is ending parts of its pandemic-era “Work from Anywhere” program, which allowed employees to work from different locations for up to four weeks each year.
Under the new rules, even a single day spent working from another location will now count as a full week under the program’s limits. However, employees can still work from home up to two days a week in their designated work region.
Google’s move follows a broader industry trend. Many large employers, including Meta, Amazon, and Salesforce, have been rolling back flexible work arrangements and encouraging employees to spend more time in the office — citing productivity, collaboration, and company culture.
