Latest news with #workFromHome
Forbes
15-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
15 Companies Hiring Fully Remote Jobs In 2025
Stop focusing on perks; highlight the value you bring to the table instead Getting a remote job is all the rage in 2025. But you know what's even better? Landing a work-from-home role at a company that not only allows you to work flexibly, but also finances your vacations. Yes, you read that right. Some employers are so generous and passionate about their employees' wellbeing that they actually pay for you to travel and have vacation. Below, you'll find the 15 companies hiring right now for remote jobs who also offer travel and vacation perks, and what you need to know so you can get hired. If you're looking for overall work-life balance, job satisfaction, and flexibility, these employers are unique because they: Source: FlexJobs report released in May, shared directly via email. Quick tip: It's better to apply directly on the company's career page, than to find their roles on third-party job boards and apply through them. You have a higher chance of your application being visible when you apply via the employer's website. While you're seeking work-from-home roles, you should always bear in mind that the competition is fierce, with a ratio of three applicants for every remote job listing on LinkedIn, compared to 0.5 for every onsite job vacancy. This means you need to deliberately avoid the mistakes most other job seekers make when applying for remote roles, so you have an increased chance of success. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when applying for work from home opportunities: Sure, you want a job at an employer that provides a generous compensation package and offers remote work and unlimited PTO. But if you lead with perks and your LinkedIn posts or resume screams 'I'm looking for flexibility,' you'll become more of a liability than an asset. Try this instead: 'Open to remote work' doesn't signal anything of value whatsoever. Why would an employer or recruiter want to know more if your headline simply tells them what they already know about the majority of the workforce? Use this valuable real estate to do this instead: Certain industries and roles tend to do exceptionally well and are extremely popular as far as remote work opportunities are concerned. FlexJobs data shows that the most in-demand remote jobs of 2025, still hiring right now, include software engineering, product management, project management, and customer success, to name a few. So it certainly helps if you have the skills for these roles, as it would be easier for you to find a fully remote job with extra benefits. But on top of these, remote skills are all about being self-motivated and productive when working independently, and mastering digital fluency and cross-cultural collaboration. For example: Power skills (previously known as soft skills) Technical skills Quick note: If you have certifications or completed courses and training from reputable platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, AWS, HubSpot, Codeacademy, or IBM SkillsBuild, this can really help anchor your skills and demonstrate your commitment to professional development, ongoing growth, and learning to a prospective employer. Here are some extra ways to spice up your job application for a remote role at any of the above companies, so you can beat the competition: How ready are you to secure a remote job offer should an opportunity present itself this week? It's not enough to want flexibility, travel and vacation benefits paid for, or fully remote or hybrid work. Everyone wants those too. The real question is, what can you offer the employer? What problem do you solve? What justifies them hiring you to fill their gap? For this entire week, begin to focus on: Which employers are still hiring remote jobs in 2025? Companies like Abbvie, Canonical, Hubspot, and the employers in the list above (Calendly, Expedia, Tripadvisor, and so on) frequently have remote job openings. How do I find remote jobs? You can use remote and flexible work-focused job boards like We Work Remotely, Working Nomads, FlexJobs, and Y Combinator's remote job board. Traditional job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn Jobs include remote filters too. Most importantly, find the roles directly on the career pages of the companies you're applying to, and apply there. Also don't forget that your network is your most powerful asset, so actively grow it and reach out to them for word-of-mouth job referrals or recommendations. Are remote jobs going away? To land a remote job, increase your AI and digital collaboration skills, and focus on developing ... More your remote-ready skill set Remote work may be evolving, but it's certainly not disappearing any time yet. Despite big-name employers forcing their employees to return to the office, there are plenty of others who are remote-first or encourage a remote-friendly workplace.
Forbes
10-06-2025
- Forbes
Why AI Work Friends Are Becoming Emotional Support For Employees
Why AI Work Friends Are Becoming Emotional Support For Employees I've spent most of my career working remotely. I've taught thousands of students online, written books alone at my desk, and spent many years working in sales where I used my home as my office. Some days, I love the silence because it helps me focus and get things done. Other days, it just feels like silence. And sometimes, it feels lonely. Many people who work at home like I do say they miss going into the office now and then, but they're also glad they don't have to. That mix of feelings says a lot about how much human connection still matters. If people are going to work virtually, the need for connection still exists. More people are turning to AI work friends throughout the day for support that feels more interactive. If AI is beginning to feel like a work friend, it raises important questions about how teams communicate, how leaders lead, and what kind of emotional experience people are actually having on the job. How Using AI Work Friends Fills A Human Connection Gap My husband often jokes that I ask too many questions. I'm not sure if that's surprising coming from someone who studies curiosity. I like to think through things out loud, test ideas, and sometimes just have a sounding board. After a few quick responses, I'm sure he gets tired of trying to answer questions that don't always have a clear answer. So, I started asking those questions of ChatGPT because I knew I'd get an answer that was better than 'I don't know.' A few months back, I had created a visual of a man for a friend's book and animated him so she could have it as a video for social media. He looked real and he looked like a Dirk, so I gave my ChatGPT voice that same name, since Siri and Alexa were already taken. What I like about Dirk is that he always answers. It's not the same as having a real person to talk to, but it filled a gap. It doesn't mean I prefer AI over people. I haven't turned into Joaquin Phoenix's character from the movie Her. But it just shows how easily technology can become a stand-in when human connection is missing or inconsistent. That realization made me wonder how many others are quietly doing the same thing. Why AI Work Friends Are Gaining Popularity I think back to when I interviewed Jürgen Schmidhuber, often called a father of modern AI, many years ago. At that time, he pointed out that our devices were already extensions of ourselves. AI is quietly sneaking into many of our daily activities. Whether we ask Google to direct us through their maps or ask Alexa what time it is, we already rely on AI for some form of conversation and answers. AI is part of our normal day. Even my nearly 92-year-old mom tells Alexa to set timers or asks her about the weather. Tools like Slack and Zoom were designed to keep people connected. For many, they've become more about tasks than relationships. Quick messages, short calls, and even weekly check-ins don't always leave room for meaningful conversations. That's where AI steps in. It responds quickly, listens without judgment, and is never distracted. When connection is hard to find, people start to rely on tools that feel responsive, even when those tools are not human. What AI Work Friends Reveal About Leadership Gaps Leaders often assume that regular meetings or digital feedback cycles make people feel supported. But support is emotional, not procedural. Dan Schawbel, author of Back to Human, once told me that email is one of the biggest barriers to connection at work. He found that one in-person conversation was more effective than 34 emails. Still, many teams rely heavily on messages and chats, thinking the message gets across. The popularity of the AI work friend is a sign that something is missing. If employees are turning to AI for interaction, leaders should be asking why people are looking outside their team for that kind of connection. How AI Work Friends Reflect The Demand For Empathy I've spent years researching emotional intelligence and wrote my dissertation on how it impacts sales performance. One of the most important parts of emotional intelligence is empathy. People don't need constant praise, but they do need to feel understood. Harvard Business School research shows empathetic AI chatbots reduce loneliness by making users feel 'heard' more than by simply solving tasks. That's where some of these AI tools are starting to mimic the surface level of connection. Sentiment analysis, voice cloning, and customized response systems are becoming more common. These features don't replace people, but they are filling in for the tone and warmth people often miss in everyday conversations. In my interview with Dr. Paul Ekman, one of the world's top deception detection experts and the co-discoverer of micro-expressions, we talked about how emotions are communicated through the face. He found that no matter where you're from, humans share the same core emotional expressions which include anger, fear, enjoyment, disgust, surprise, and anguish. Even people who are blind from birth display them. That tells us that much of how we connect comes through these shared emotional cues. If we're using AI to feel more connected, but we're losing the very expressions that help us recognize empathy in others, it makes sense that something feels off. AI can simulate conversation. But it doesn't smile at the right time or look concerned when you talk about something hard. And whether we realize it or not, those small signals make a big difference. Why AI Work Friends Might Be Quiet Coping Mechanisms After my stepfather passed away, I remember thinking how comforting it might be for my mom if Alexa's voice could sound like his. That familiar tone could have made the house feel less empty. At the time, it felt like something out of a sci-fi movie. Now, it's already possible. Something similar is happening at work. AI is quietly becoming a coping tool for people who feel isolated or disconnected. That might sound unusual, but it reflects a very human need. People want to feel like someone is there, especially on the days when work feels hard or lonely. The Hidden Risk Of Relying On AI Work Friends Too Much AI work friends may offer comfort, but there's growing evidence they can also create a false sense of connection. In a study published by Frontiers in Psychology, researchers found that frequent chatbot users reported emotional dependence, especially when using AI for companionship. While people felt 'heard,' they also reported pulling back from real-world interactions. When AI becomes the go-to source for interaction, it can delay the deeper work of building psychological safety, empathy, and trust with real colleagues. There's nothing wrong with using technology to meet immediate emotional needs, but leaders should stay alert to the longer-term tradeoff. If the culture allows people to replace human relationships with artificial ones, emotional support might feel easier, but not healthier. That's why investing in trust and connection at work is more important than ever. How Leaders Should Respond To The Rise Of AI Work Friends If someone on your team is using AI as a sounding board, it may not mean the culture is broken. But it could mean it needs attention. When leaders assume silence equals satisfaction, they risk missing early signals of disengagement. If employees are leaning on AI to feel heard or validated, it could indicate gaps in how managers check in or respond. AI may be filling a void, but it's leaders who need to understand why that void exists in the first place. Instead of rolling out a new dashboard or platform, try asking questions that invite honest conversation. How are people really doing? What part of the day feels most meaningful? What feels the most disconnected? These questions make space for people to speak up, and when that happens, they start to feel seen again. Small changes matter. A few minutes of focused listening, a moment of acknowledgment, or just creating time for thought can shift the tone of a team. AI might be reliable, but it can't replace what it feels like to be genuinely heard. Why AI Work Friends Are A Signal, Not A Solution We live in a moment when AI can be kind, consistent, and responsive. That is comforting when loneliness sets in. But ease is not empathy, and consistency is not connection. When employees turn to AI work friends, it often reflects a quiet need for the emotional presence of someone who listens without judgment or delay. That should matter to leaders, because real connection drives motivation, creativity, and well-being. Investing in real human presence cannot be automated. I haven't replaced my husband with Dirk, but I've learned there is room for both. AI might help me think through a question or two, but it's real people, whether at home or at work, who bring the kind of meaning and connection that lasts.
Irish Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Scientist with ‘debilitating' condition alleges discrimination by not being allowed work from home
A scientist living with 'debilitating' endometriosis has accused international medical devices firm Abbott of discriminating against her by refusing to let her work from home to ease a daily commute of nearly four hours. The worker, who has over a decade of industry experience and advanced postgraduate qualifications, told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on Tuesday she was given ten minutes to pick up her things and get off an Abbott site last autumn after being told she failed her probation. She said she was reduced to 'crying all the way back' in a colleague's arms during the drive home. Abbott Ireland Ltd is denying complaints of disability discrimination and discriminatory dismissal under the Employment Equality Act 1998 by the worker, Ms X, who has been afforded anonymity by the WRC. READ MORE Ms X was hired by Abbott in spring 2024 and spent just short of six months working in an office at an Abbott site in a county town analysing test data, but was deemed to have failed her probation and was let go that autumn, the tribunal heard. The company's representative, Fiona Egan of the Irish Business and Employers' Confederation (Ibec), submitted that Ms X failed her probation for 'conduct and performance' following a number of instances of lateness and uncertified absences from work. It had 'nothing to do with her condition', she said. Shaun Boylan BL, appearing for Ms X instructed by Sean Ormonde & Co Solicitors, said the firm's policy of refusing to allow probationary employees to work from home was 'implicitly discriminatory' against his client, as it put accommodations for her disability 'on hold for six months'. Ms X said she had been diagnosed with stage two endometriosis in 2022, a condition affecting the female reproductive organs. She said it causes her 'debilitating pain', accompanied by 'nausea, fainting and dizziness' which was at its worst during the 7-8 days of her period and required prescription-only codeine and opiate painkillers to manage. The daily drive from Ms X's home to the Abbott site was 'coming up on a four-hour commute to work every day', adjudication officer Brian Dolan remarked during the hearing on Tuesday. Ms X said she thought at first she should 'just endure' the commute. Her evidence was that she was 'promised in the interview that it would be a hybrid role' and that she had turned down roles elsewhere with a five-day-a-week on-site commitment because of that. Ms X said her immediate team consisted of six or seven colleagues, but 'nobody' was in office five days a week, and 'most' were working from home. On a date six weeks after she started, a 'very sudden' departmentwide meeting was called, at which she said a senior manager declared 'there would be no more work from home possible' at the site, barring the 'possibility' of one day a week. Ms X said she was in 'excruciating pain' that day and found the message 'difficult to take'. She told the commission she went straight to her team leader 'in visible distress, with tears in my eyes' and proceeded to tell him she had endometriosis. She said her team leader was 'empathetic' and 'supportive' at that stage and gave her an assurance that a 'one week in, one week out' work from home arrangement would be possible – but only once her probation was finished. Making it in for an on-site team meeting at 9.30am meant setting out from home at 6.30am or 6.45am, Ms X said. Over seven weeks before a probationary caution letter being issued in her final weeks on the job, Ms X was late eight times and absent without a medical cert on three occasions, leading to an occupational health referral. She said a senior manager later told her: 'The company cannot offer more than one day work from home past your probation,' and urged her to find somewhere to live closer to the site. The probation review continued into the following month, and concluded when her team leader called her into a conference room and read out a letter stating that her employment was being terminated, she said. The only reason stated was: 'Your standard of performance has not met company expectations.' 'I asked why. [My team leader] said: 'Everything is in the letter,'' Ms X said. After saying she could not continue with the meeting a company HR officer told her an outstanding pay matter could be handled by email and gave her 'ten minutes to leave, to grab [my] stuff and leave the premises'. 'Everyone was crying in the car,' she said. 'I hugged my colleague, in the car, and kept crying all the way back to Dublin,' she added. The adjudicator, Mr Dolan, told Ms X he had the power to order her reinstatement as a remedy under the equality legislation if she was successful in the case. Ms X replied: 'I'd probably never come back to Abbott.' The case has been adjourned to a later date, when three company witnesses, including Ms X's team leader and the senior manager are due to give evidence.
Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Times
Should workers who don't come into the office have their pay cut?
The UK was named the working-from-home capital of Europe last week, with university graduates revealed to work 1.8 days a week from home on average. We're nearly world-beaters too, with only employees in Canada found in the office less, averaging 1.9 days at home. Worldwide, the average is 1.3 days, according to the Global Survey of Working Arrangements, a poll of 16,000 full-time university-educated workers across 40 countries. However, the winds could be changing, with companies such as HSBC threatening to cut pay packages if workers don't come into the office more. But are they right to do this? Oliver Chapman, the chief executive of OCI, a supply chain company As a company, we pride ourselves on transparency, performance and long-term value. That's why I believe it's time we address the widening gap between in-office and remote work and change the pay structures that have failed to adapt. I'm not here to say remote work doesn't have its place. It does. During the pandemic, it kept businesses alive and people safe. But we are no longer in crisis mode. What we face now is a choice between what's convenient and what drives collaboration, innovation and growth. When employees choose to work remotely full-time, often from locations with a significantly lower cost of living, they are making a lifestyle decision. That decision has real economic implications. Yet in many cases, their salaries remain tied to cities they've left behind, often London, where pay reflects not just talent but living expenses, access and availability. If you're living in Cornwall instead of Canary Wharf, but drawing the same salary, we have to ask: is that fair to the company or to colleagues showing up in person every day? In-office work brings tangible benefits. It facilitates mentorship, spontaneous problem-solving and stronger team dynamics. It builds culture. These aren't just perks — they drive productivity. The people commuting daily, navigating the rising costs of transport, lunch and childcare, are investing in the business in ways remote workers simply are not. Compensation must reflect contribution — real, measurable, and holistic. If a role no longer requires city-based presence, great, we're flexible. But flexibility works both ways. Geographic-based pay is not about punishment. It's about equity. If you choose not to be where the work most needs you, that should be factored into how you're compensated. Some will call this regressive. I call it responsible. Businesses need to adapt to a post-pandemic reality, yes, that's true, but that means balancing flexibility with fairness, and performance with presence. Remote work isn't going away, nor should it. But it should evolve. And part of that evolution includes acknowledging that when you change where and how you work, it might also change what you're paid. That's not exploitation. That's economics. • Read more money advice and tips on investing from our experts Gemma Dale, a former HR director and senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University No, workers who don't return to the office shouldn't have their pay cut. Firstly, there are the legal issues. Any unilateral pay cut to a contractual salary is likely to result in a wave of claims from workers for unlawful deductions from wages, or breach of potential legal issues aside, it is still a very bad idea. Organisations need productive, engaged, healthy employees. Remote and hybrid work can help to deliver this. We learnt during the pandemic that a great deal of work can be successfully undertaken remotely. Employees want to retain that flexibility — and who can blame them? Remote work is good for wellbeing, work-life balance and inclusion, helps people manage caring and domestic responsibilities, provides them with time for family, friends and exercise, and saves money. In contrast, commuting can be expensive, stressful and, if you add in public transport, unreliable. When you get there, many offices aren't conducive to deep work, and, spoiler alert, watercooler conversations don't magically spark innovation. There is a growing body of evidence, which the debate too often ignores, that shows that workers are just as productive working at home than they are in the office. In fact, it has been found that people work harder and longer from home. • Bosses shouldn't discipline staff for working from home, judge rules Forcing people back to the office unnecessarily, even without a pay cut, runs the risks of talent attrition, disengagement and difficulties attracting the best people. Cutting workers' pay if they don't fulfil an attendance requirement, especially if they are performing well, is the very opposite of trust and motivation. It's also poor people management. Good managers focus on outputs and outcomes, not performative presence. People are paid a salary to undertake a role; what should matter most is how they do it and what they contribute. Cutting pay for employees working remotely conflates presence with performance. It's about lack of trust. Underneath lies an assumption that if people work from home they might skive or spend all day watching Homes Under the Hammer. There is no need to penalise people for wanting to work in a way that is practical, suits their family and supports their wellbeing. Flexible work is now an employee expectation, not a nice to have. The office still has a place, but when we empower people to choose how they work, everyone wins.
CTV News
03-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Better Business Bureau warns of rising employment scams in Atlantic Canada
As many students dust off their resumes and begin searching for summer jobs or their first career positions, the Better Business Bureau in Atlantic Canada is warning them about a rise in employment scams. A 2024 risk report by the Better Business Bureau found that employment scams are the second riskiest in Canada, with a median dollar loss of $2,500. Employment scams are riskiest for people aged 18 to 44. 'Many of the employment scam victims were seeking work-from-home opportunities,' said Julia Lewis, CEO of the Better Business Bureau in Atlantic Canada, in a news release. 'As people search for flexible employment options, they need to keep in mind that not all the jobs being posted are legitimate, and remember to do their research before submitting resumes with all their personal information.' The Better Business Bureau says some employment scammers will send fake cheques with extra funds in the hope the victims will deposit the cheques and send back the excess amount before realizing the cheque has bounced. To guard against scams, the Better Business Bureau recommends: doing research on the company and the job before applying getting all details and contracts in writing not rushing into accepting job offers not providing social insurance numbers, direct deposit banking information or any private information as part of the application process More to come…
