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PwC has told over 40,000 workers in the US that they can work remotely from anywhere in the country but can afford to pay if they move to a lower cost.
The idea of allowing workers to work longer hours is a very strong response from the Big Four company to the Covid-19 pandemic change.
Under the policy, customer-looking employees will be allowed to engage in “virtual” participation, doing household chores unless they are sometimes required to attend a group meeting, customer visits or other major events, PwC said.
Employees who choose to work remotely will need to go to the office no later than three days a month, Yolanda Seals-Coffield, the US deputy chief of staff for PwC, told Reuters, which first reported the move.
The pay cut for migrant workers in low-cost areas reflects the practices of technology companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google.
PwC said it was the first company in the US to allow workers to work away from any part of the country.
The idea of allowing experts to work especially at home for long periods of time to force rivals, including Senior Critics Deloitte, EY and KPMG, to see if they would need to do the same to retain employees.
“We’ve learned how to go through the epidemic, and working hard, when we think about change, is the next thing,” Seals-Coffield said.
“If you’re a good employee, you work for clients, and you want to work almost, you can stand up,” he said.
PwC expects 30 to 35% of qualified employees to choose long-term employment. Co-workers who come to the office frequently are not allowed to work remotely.
The law does not apply to 15,000 PwC employees returning to work, including jobs such as social work and IT support, many of whom are able to work remotely.
PwC has left the door open to change the policy if long-distance operation is not working properly. “While this is not a temporary process and should be the decision of our people, we will continue to monitor and innovate – as we do with all our principles, benefits and flexibility,” it said.