Is Amazon’s Cheaper “Prime Lite” Service Coming to the US?

Amazon’s new delivery option “Prime Lite” is currently being trialed in India, but how does it differ from Prime?
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Delivery behemoth Amazon has begun piloting “Prime Lite” in India — a membership that gives users access to Prime Video and two-day delivery perks at a discounted rate.

The affordable service will soon be available to all Indian consumers for the equivalent price of $12 per year, $6 cheaper than Amazon’s regular Prime membership.

With Amazon warehouse workers already at capacity at home soil and US citizens already being squeezed by rising inflation rates, this ‘lite’ version of Prime could likely kill two birds with one stone. But is it expected to launch in the US any time soon?

Amazon Pilots Prime Lite Membership in India

Amazon has quietly been piloting a stripped-back version of its Prime membership in India, according to a recent report by TechCrunch.

The membership can currently only be accessed by select individuals, but will soon be available to all Indian consumers at the significantly discounted price of 999 Indian rupees ($12) per year, compared to the full Prime package which costs 1499 Indian rupees ($18) over the same period.

However, unlike its predecessor, Amazon Prime, which offers lots of benefits including same-day delivery, ad-free streaming, and access to the company’s extensive app catalog, Prime Lite’s package is slightly more limited.

We break down how these two tiers differ in detail below.

Amazon Prime vs Prime Lite: What’s the Difference?

As reported by TechCrunch, one of the major differences between Amazon Prime and its lite version is delivery guarantees. While Amazon Prime offers complimentary same-day, one-day and two-day shipping on eligible items, Prime Lite’s free deliveries are capped at two days.

What’s more, compared to Amazon Prime, which unlocks ad-free movies and TV shows and access to Amazon Music, Lite members are subject to adverts and are denied access to the popular music streaming service.

However, both Prime and Prime Lite members can use Prime Reading to borrow eBooks and comics free of charge and can benefit from exclusive deals and discounts across the site.

Is Amazon Prime Lite Coming to the US?

Amazon hasn’t yet released whether their Lite service will be available to US consumers.

Most of the company’s delivery breakthroughs have been trialed on US soil before being exported overseas — including Amazon’s original Prime service which was first rolled out across North America in 2005, and ‘Prime Air’ which debuted in Texas last year.

However, a number of Amazon initiatives have been covertly trialed overseas before being introduced to the US market.

Notably, before Dash Carts were deployed by the companies in Whole Foods across the country, Amazon trialed ‘Smart Stores in India’ — a similar program that allowed consumers to access product information and pay for goods by scanning QR codes.

Despite this trend, whether or not Amazon decides to launch Prime Lite in the US will largely depend on how successful the launch will go in India. But with one-day shipping pressures leading to a plethora of workers’ rights issues, from 12-hour days to escalating injuries, it’s safe to say this scaled-back, cost-effective delivery service would be welcomed with open arms.

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Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

‘Brutal’ Layoffs at Goldman Sachs Reflect Global Economic Pain

Last week, over 3,000 staff were fired on the spot - the bank's biggest round of job cuts since the financial crisis of 2008.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Goldman Sachs disguised 3,200 layoffs as ‘regular’ meetings last week, in what has been described as one of the most ‘brutal’ employee job cuts to date.

Staff in most major cities, including New York, London, Bangalore and Hong Kong, were given just 30-minutes to collect their property and vacate the building before access cards were deactivated, having ‘turned up to work unaware of their fates’. Others were reportedly escorted directly out of the building, and those working from home were laid off via popular web conferencing software, Zoom.

This was the bank’s biggest round of job cuts since the financial crisis in 2008, and kicks off what might be another year of unprecedented mass layoffs.

Goldman Sachs Employees Left Jobless With No Bonus

Last week, Goldman Sachs kicked off its biggest round of layoffs since 2008, cutting over 3,200 jobs across the globe, in what some are now dubbing ‘David’s demolition day’, named after chief executive David Solomon. The cuts represented roughly 6.5% of Goldman Sachs’ staff, and have impacted the bank’s major divisions in New York, London, and Hong Kong, as well as other locations.

Of those affected, 1,000 are expected to impact the banking and trading functions, according to the Financial News. Of the job losses reported, most were given the news in ‘five-minute meetings’ with senior bankers, while others were called into ‘regular’ scheduled calendar meetings via Zoom.

In a statement released by the global bank on Wednesday, Goldman described its decision as a ‘difficult’ but stood firm.

“We’re grateful for all our people’s contributions, and we’re providing support to ease their transitions. Our focus now is to appropriately size the firm for the opportunities ahead of us in a challenging macroeconomic environment” – Global Head of Communications, Tony Fratto.

Due to the timing of the cuts, most employees will now miss out on their annual bonuses, which are due to be announced soon.

The layoffs come a month after the company warned of impending cuts, following a year of economic turbulence and market instability, with stock prices falling more the 15% since December 2021.

“There are a variety of factors impacting the business landscape, including tightening monetary conditions that are slowing down economic activity… For our leadership team, the focus is on preparing the firm to weather these headwinds.” – CEO, David Soloman.

Managers and Staff Describe Goldman Sachs Cuts as ‘Brutal’

Managers tasked with delivering the news of recent layoffs, described the process at Goldman Sachs as ‘brutal’ according to the Financial Times. With staff turning up to ‘meetings’ unaware of their fate, many were given just 30-minutes to leave the building.

Layoffs in India showed a similar theme, with The Indian Express reporting people being called in for ‘a quick meeting’ before being informed that they were fired, and swiftly escorted out of the building.

“Right after I was informed that I was being fired, I was escorted out of the building and asked to go home. I couldn’t even say bye to my friends” – software developer at Goldman’s Bangalore office.

Others were more shocked about the abruptness of the decision, describing it as ‘short-sighted’. A graduate, hired just months before layoffs were announced, questioned why new staff were hired in the first place.

“For a company that analyses all global trends about pretty much every industry, Goldman seemed pretty short-sighted when they were hiring me. Why would you employ someone if you have to lay them off in two months?” – former Goldman Sachs employee, India.

Business Insider reported that workers in New York were expected to receive 2-3 months’ worth of pay as severance, with an additional bonus for the number of years worked, but that most would miss out on their annual bonus, which can otherwise account for a significant proportion of employees’ compensation.

Further sources suggest that those who do receive a bonus, may receive a disappointing one, potentially to drive further employees out by their own choice, withot severance pay.

How to Navigate Layoffs in 2023

With 150,000 jobs lost in 2022, mass layoffs are showing no sign of slowing down. Businesses are struggling to adapt to post-pandemic demands, and will continue to cut costs to better manage company overheads.

If you’re concerned about being let go, there are number of warning signs you can look out for, according to global jobsite, Monster.com:

  1. Hiring freezes
  2. Your responsibilities being cut
  3. Non-essential budgets being reduced
  4. New products and projects being postponed
  5. The company going through a merger
  6. There’s talk of ‘restructure’
  7. Layoffs have already begun

While some businesses are opting for voluntary separation, not all businesses are, so it’s important to keep your eye on the ball. If you’re concerned about your performance, you can optimize your workflow with quality project management tools, and stay connected with reliable web conferencing software to help improve communication. Businesses want to retain their top talent, so our advice is to become as indispensable as possible.

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Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

73% of Managers Agree Flexible Working Boosts Productivity

A new study shows managers rate remote and flexi-time more highly than in 2020 - but are attitudes now starting to regress?
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Despite an increasing demand for employees to return to in-office work, most managers are in favor of remote and flexible working arrangements, according to a new study by the University of Birmingham.

The report shows that 73% of managers believe flexible working arrangements have increased productivity, with 60% agreeing the same of employees who choose to work from home.

New data to support remote and flexible working will come as welcome news to many employees, as some employers are reversing remote work policies and demanding staff return to the office, despite downsides including a historic decline in productivity as a result. Here’s what we know.

Hybrid Working Attitudes Are Changing

The University of Birmingham, in the UK, has released its latest figures from an ongoing study into Flexible Working and the Future of Work, and the evidence suggests that line managers are becoming increasingly in favor of remote and flexible working models.

The study assessed 527 managers on their attitudes toward flexible work, including future support, spatial flexibility and changes around consultation and surveillance in the workplace. It measured responses in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

While remote working was relatively rare prior to the Covid pandemic, it seems attitudes have now shifted to reflect our learnings borne out of necessity, and more than half (59.5%) of the managers surveyed now believe that fully remote employees are more productive, with 51.8% agreeing that it also improved employee concentration.

An even higher number (73%) agree that flexible working arrangements increase productivity.

55% of managers reported being in favor of advertising more flexible work opportunities at the latest count, in comparison to the 50% reported in 2020.

“Precarious and Fragile Norms”

While attitudes to remote and flexible working have improved compared to pre-pandemic stigma, some evidence does suggest a regression in the past year. For example, 43.3% of the managers Birmingham University surveyed believed long hours were required for employees to advance in an organisation, in 2020. This number decreased to 38.7% in 2021, but increased again to 41.9% in 2022.

The report’s authors describe this creeping return of “long hours culture” and “presenteeism” as factors that “perpetuate inequalities” in workplaces, and argue that now is the time to strengthen and formalize new flexible working norms as well as extend them to front-line industries.

“COVID-19 working practices have dramatically impacted workplace norms around flexible working… More broadly, these changes are starting to reduce the stigma of flexible working to tackle the presenteeism culture as well as the long hours culture (which perpetuates) inequalities… However, we also see some signs between 2021 and 2022 that the long hours culture may be returning… which highlights the precarious and fragile nature of these new norms.” — University of Birmingham

This isn’t the first report to suggest more work still needs to be done to fully accept the benefits of flexible and remote working into our culture.

Remote Work Backlash and Skepticism

In 2022, Elon Musk famously demanded that “Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean *minimum*) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla”, claiming that remote work ‘tricked people into thinking that you don’t actually need to work hard’.

A Microsoft survey of more than 20,000 global knowledge workers also revealed that 85% of leaders reported hybrid work decreased employer confidence in employee productivity, with only 12% of employers reporting they had full confidence in the productivity of their team, despite 87% of employees reporting no issues at all.

Tech giant Google has openly discussed its concerns about employee productivity, in contrast to findings that suggest 30% of remote workers do more work in less time when working at home, and 77% show an increase in productivity. Meanwhile, both Google and Apple implemented flexible work restrictions that resulted in the loss of some of their key employees.

Some companies have responded to remote working concerns by increasing surveillance methods, an approach which the University of Birmingham notes is “widespread, despite an overriding view that it does not improve performance and erodes trust”.

On Friday, a company in Canada ordered a remote worker to pay back $2,498.99 in ‘time theft’ claiming her work was overbudget, after installing tracking software as evidence on her computer.

Benefits of Flexible and Remote Work

At Tech.co, we believe offering remote and flexible working, where possible, can springboard the success of your business. In addition to improved productivity, studies suggest that flexible and remote working can also offer a number of other benefits. These include improving staff wellbeing, retention and loyalty, diversity and inclusivity, and work-life balance, while reducing sick days and saving on running costs.

In the University of Birmingham’s study, managers also reported feeling more cheerful, calmer, better rested and more active in 2022 than they had been in 2021, due to their flexible working models – although line managers continued to report higher levels of stress than senior managers when researchers compared the stats overall.

We have also found that remote workers are more optimistic (89%) than their co-workers (77%), according to documented studies, and have more job satisfaction (90%) compared to those that commute to the office (82%). The saved time allows workers to enjoy more sleep and dedicate time to leisure, which results in happier employees – and employees who work harder.

Regarding performance, the University of Birmingham report shows that line managers were more likely to see flexible working as a ‘performance-enhancing tool’ (71.2%) than senior management (65.6%), indicating that senior management may be less in touch with the day to day impact of flexi-time.

How to Successfully Adopt a Flexible Working Model

The resulting recommendations from the University of Birmingham’s report advises organizations and managers to:

  • “Encourage the assumption that all jobs will be available for some form of flexible working by default and task managers with thinking about how flexible working may apply”
  • “Add information on flexible working in all job advertisements”
  • and “Update performance management systems and promotion processes to be less focused on
    presenteeism and not disadvantage those working flexibly”

This is in addition to other measures to ensure a commitment to remote and flexible working. That’s not to say they ignored the challenges of implementation in workplaces. For example, the researchers questioned the following:

  • “How do we ensure all industries embrace the journey to more accessible flexible working for jobs at all levels?”
  • “How do we ensure that the focus on productivity and flexible working does not lead to work intensification, as people work through commuting times and find it difficult to switch off when working from home?”
  • and “How do we ensure that new opportunities for flexible working are not only taken up by female carers, further gendering the concept of flexible working and creating a two-tier workforce?”

There is also the fact that 61% of managers agreed that working from home can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, highlighting the challenges that can directly impact the productivity of your team.

Other concerns include cybersecurity, and workers spending more time online streaming.

Still, worker demand isn’t going away, and with 52% of staff willing to take an 11% pay cut to avoid returning to the office full-time, businesses need to consider alternative ways to build trust and support more flexibility.

Top Tips for Remote and Flexible Workforces

Fortunately, there are plenty of tools to help businesses successfully adopt a more flexible working model. Investing in web conferencing tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom is a great way to enable your teams to collaborate in real-time, more effectively.

Project management tools and other productivity-enhancing programs can also help to ensure your team is managing their time well, without micromanaging.

Creating healthy boundaries is also important when working from home. In the British university study, researchers found that 57% of managers agreed working from home can blur the lines between work and personal time – leading to burnout. To prevent this, it’s equally important to take regular breaks.

Switching off from work during non-working hours is just as important as being switched on when you’re on the clock, and setting clear expectations around your availability is the best way to promote a healthy work-life balance.

While some businesses, like Disney, are stepping away from more flexible working models, there are plenty of companies that offer great remote work opportunities and these are likely to attract the top talent in the long term. After all, it’s simple Darwinism that those most adaptable to change will win out in the end.

Read Tech.co’s top tips for managing a remote workforce.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Starbucks Employees Must Return to Office 3 Days a Week

In a memo, interim CEO Howard Schultz cites a "need to rebuild" while the company "emerges" from the pandemic.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Starbucks Corp wants a return to the office for its corporate employees: All US support center staffers must now work from the office at least three days a week, starting at the end of January.

The new rules make for a jump up from the previous mandate of just one day per week. The new days will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with the mandatory third day determined on a team-by-team basis.

It’s another example of a corporation that’s rolling back workplace flexibility that was first offered as a Covid pandemic response in 2020.

Starbucks CEO Cites “Need to Rebuild”

In his memo announcing the return to the office, interim CEO Howard Schultz specifically mentions a need to “rebuild” while Starbucks employees “emerge” from the pandemic.

Yet today, over 500 Americans are dying from Covid daily, a number that has risen from a low of fewer than 200 deaths per day back in July 2021. And since vaccines won’t prevent Covid from spreading, safety measures like masking, distancing, and staying home when possible remain the top ways to combat it.

Research does back up the benefits of remote work, with studies finding it boosts productivity while leaving workers happier and living longer.

Regardless of your stance on the myriad benefits of remote vs in-person work, though, investing in the tech tools can leave more choices open to all employees. VPNs, password managers, and remote access software can all help to shore up security while keeping employees safe and productive.

Tech Companies Are Pushing for In-Person Work

Not every business in tech is pushing for a one-size-fits all solution to work habits. Among others, Facebook, Slack, and Microsoft have all kept up their generous remote work policies.

But Starbucks is joining a host of other big companies that have made their preference for physical, in-office presence known in recent months. Since last November, Peloton has forced its workers to return to the office three days a week or leave the company. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel went a little further, informing employees that they’ll need to be in the office at least four days per week. Disney, Uber and Twitter have made similar policy choices.

Apple had an entire saga surrounding a return to the office: First, the company kept delaying the decision due to backlash from an employee advocacy group, then the head of Apple’s Machine Learning team left the company rather than stop working remotely, the return-to-office decision was delayed further, and CEO Tim Cook ultimately defended the choice, citing the importance of interpersonal collaboration.

The kicker to Apple’s unpopular policy journey, however, might be the news just released today: Apple’s next annual shareholder meeting will remain virtual when it takes place this March.

Prior to the Covid pandemic, Apple’s annual meetings were held in person at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Apple Cuts Tim Cook’s Compensation by 40%, Dropping It to $49M

Cook asked for the pay cut himself, following shareholder criticism. Apple's stocks dipped by around 27% last year.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Apple CEO Tim Cook will be paid more than 40% less in 2023 than he was in 2022.

Granted, that’s still a lot more money than most of us will get in our lifetimes, as his target compensation has been reduced to $49 million, down from the $99.4 million he received in 2022.

Cook asked for the pay cut himself, following shareholder criticism. His pay from last year accounted for 1,447 times that of the average employee at his company, the advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) found.

Breaking Down Tim Cook’s Pay

Like most CEOs, Cook’s base salary is just a small part of his total compensation. In 2023, it will remain the same as last year: $3 million. His annual cash incentive stays the same as well, at $6 million.

So what’s changing? Cook will be awarded fewer shares in the company this year. He was given a stock award target of $70 million last year, which has been reduced to $40 million in 2023.

Other aspects of his compensation include personal security and private jet costs, each of which was well over a half million last year.

Another point worth mentioning here is that Cook’s 2023 total of $49 million is a target compensation. For reference, his target compensation for 2022 was just $84 million, despite the actual compensation boosting that value by an additional $15.4 million.

Why Is Tim Cook Asking for Less?

Cook’s decision to request a smaller compensation this year is far from typical for a CEO. But it comes in the wake of criticism for how much he’s earning in comparion to his employees and the company overall.

Apple’s shares have dropped around 27% across the last year, due in part to a slowing economy and global supply chain disruptions.

“Balancing shareholder feedback, a desire to continue to create meaningful performance and retention incentives, and Mr. Cook’s support for changes to his compensation to reflect the feedback received, the Compensation Committee maintained the cash components of Mr. Cook’s 2023 compensation and reduced his target equity award grant value.” ~Apple’s SEC filing

Perhaps Cook has his finger a little closer to the pulse of public opinion than many of his fellow billionares, given recent news cycles around the strength of the labor economy across the past year.

Whatever the case, Cook will undoubtedly earn dozens of millions this year, even with his adjusted compensation expectations.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

New Microsoft Teams Premium Will Add Paywall to Some Features

Microsoft is adding a semi-hidden downgrade to any users who aren't interested in paying for Premium: Fewer features.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

This year, Microsoft Teams is launching Premium, a paid tier of the business communication platform. But there’s a catch: Features that were previously free through Teams will now only be available through the Premium add-on.

The once-free functionality will be removed from regular Teams users within 30 days of the Premium service’s launch. The exact cost for the add-on won’t be announced until the service is available, but will be somewhere around $10 per user, per month.

While Teams Premium will add plenty of interesting features including AI-powered tools and custom branding, any Microsoft Teams users who aren’t paying extra will find their options reduced.

What Teams Features Will Move to Premium-Only?

The news about this reduction in features comes from an update to Microsoft’s licensing guide, recently spotted by The Register. In this guide, the tech company writes that “some Teams features will move from Teams licenses to Teams Premium licenses.”

The features in question:

  • Live-translated captions
  • Timeline markers in Teams meeting recordings for when a user leaves or joins a meeting
  • Custom organization Together Mode scenes
  • Virtual appointment SMS notifications
  • Organizational analytics within the Teams admin center for virtual appointments
  • Scheduled queue view for virtual appointments

In addition to hoovering up once-free features, the Premium add-on will introduce brand-new tools that include a new guide for helping users pick the right type of meeting format, custom logos and backgrounds for meetings.

It’ll also add artificial intelligence tools, including intelligent search, auto-generated tasks gleaned from meetings, an intelligent playback service to automatically split recorded meetings into chapters by topic, and an AI recap of the meetings themselves.

When Will the Features Leave?

Microsoft will allow the existing Premium-only features to remain available to normal Teams users for 30 days after the Premium add-on rolls out.

However, we don’t have a set timeline for the Premium add-on to become available. First announced at the Ignite 2022 conference in October of last year, the Premium service rolled out a preview version on December 16, 2022.

Now, we’ve found out that Premium is debuting sooner rather than later: Microsoft says the service is set to become generally available around “early February 2023.” The days of free Microsoft live translation are coming to an end.

Is Teams Premium Worth Getting?

In summary, Microsoft is adding in a semi-hidden downgrade to any users who aren’t interested in paying for Premium — removing old features from the free version is the stick that goes along with the carrot that the new Premium features provide.

If those combined features all add up to be worth the new price tag, Microsoft Teams Premium is worth getting, even if its users may not be happy about the process. And with plenty of businesses locked into the sprawling Microsoft business software ecosystem, Premium seems poised to be a success.

If you’re not happy about it and aren’t fully committed green meadow and blue skies of the Bill Gates life just yet, there are plenty of other organizational and virtal meeting software options available. We’ve even rounded up all the best free conference call services, including top options like Zoom, RingCentral, and Google Meet.

Teams is always adding new features, but as this news about the Premium tier highlights, Microsoft Teams can take away any features it wants, as well.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Microsoft Is Giving Employees Unlimited Vacation Time

The policy will go into effect on January 16th, and will be offered to all US salaried employees.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Microsoft is changing its vacation policy to give its US salaried employees unlimited paid time off (PTO). The new policy, which goes into effect on January 16th, will allow salaried workers to take off as much time as they want.

The radical move, announced by Microsoft’s chief people officer this week, follows a successful year of innovation, and strategic moves to retain its top talent – despite its record-breaking layoffs.

At a time where quiet quitting is high, and businesses are being more restrictive in their policies, Microsoft’s flexibility may be a warm welcome for prospective employees. But, it’s not the only company to introduce the policy.

Microsoft’s Unlimited Vacation Policy Explained

On January 16th Microsoft will be giving its US employees unlimited PTO. The new policy, described as ‘Discretionary Time Off’ (DTO), will allow salaried employees at Microsoft to take as much vacation time as they need, without having to accrue paid leave.

Beginning January 16, 2023, Microsoft is modernizing our vacation policy to a more flexible model and transitioning to Discretionary Time Off (DTO)….How, when, and where employees do their jobs has dramatically changed and DTO aligns with more flexible ways of working. – Kathleen Hogan, Microsoft Chief People Officer.

In addition to DTO, Microsoft will offer workers 10 additional corporate holidays throughout the year, plus time off for bereavement, leaves of absence, sickness, mental heath and jury duty. Employees outside of the US, and on an hourly contract will not be entitled to DTO due to hourly laws,  and the differences  in Federal and State wage.

Eligible employees with unused vacation balances will receive a one-time payout for accrued days in April, and all new employees will no longer have to accrue their  vacation days.

What is Unlimited DTO, and Does it Work?

DTO is when a company no longer logs, tracks or requires employees to accrue vacation days in order to enjoy paid leave. The radical policy is designed to promote more flexibility in the work place, and encourages employees to collaborate with their supervisors to determine which vacation days they can use, and when – without specifying a maximum or minimum number of vacation days per year.

Businesses in favor of DTO have referred to the policy as a way to enable employees to ‘better meet their personal needs’ and bring their ‘best self to work’, while others question its legitimacy and practicality.

Users on Linkedin described DTO as simply ‘a way businesses to save money’ as companies will no longer be required to pay out vacation time when an employee leaves. Others felt it was a way to ‘discourage employees from taking time off in the first place’ as the agreement is still subject to approval.

Twitter users were also divided. Those in favor described Microsoft’s new vacation policy as ‘amazing news’ and a ‘massive upgrade to benefits’, whereas others were skeptical.

DTO, or unlimited vacation time in companies isn’t new. In 2003, Netflix introduced unlimited PTO as a way to ‘give high performers a little more control over their lives’ and demonstrate ‘trust’. CEO, Reed Hastings, stated ‘Time off provides mental bandwith that allows you to think creatively and see your work in a different light. If you are working all the time, you don’t have the perspective to see your problem, with free eyes.’

“I have never paid attention to how many hours people are working. So, why should I care if an employee works 50 weeks a year or 48 weeks a year?” – Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO.

Project management pioneers, Asana, is also known to promote unlimited PTO, as well tech company, Roku, who maintained that it was a strong part of their company culture – one that ‘pushes staff to be independent [and] productive at work, [while] maintaining a good work/home balance’.

Employee opinions appear to differ, though. On Twitter, users described DTO as being restrictive, and a way for business to grant less holidays – with some claiming they would avoid it altogether.

Others had more positive experiences, believing DTO to ultimately be a ‘good thing’ but highly dependent on the business or organization you’re working for.

Is Unlimited PTO Right For Your Business?

Whether unlimited PTO is right for your business will depend on the size of business, the culture and your business’ needs. In order for DTO to work, employees will need to ensure that their work is still delivered on time, and that there is cover for their workload – which could restrict employee flexibility.

Jobs board Reed reported a 20% hike in the number of new openings advertising unlimited vacation as a part of its benefits package in 2020, And in a competitive job market where companies are struggling to retain their top talent, and employees are demanding more flexibility, unlimited holidays could be a great incentive.

DTO isn’t for everyone though. Buffer, which introduced unlimited holidays in 2019, found that their employees were taking less holidays, so instead changed their policy to introduce a minimum vacation time of three weeks per year. And Kickstarter, changed its policy to a set number of days, for the same reason. Still, if the demand for remote work in last year has taught us anything, it’s that employees want more flexibility. Building trust, and prioritizing your employees needs may be the way to do it.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

23 Companies That Offer Remote Work From Home Jobs in 2024

Remote and hybrid working has boomed with more opportunities than ever. We point out the companies that are remote friendly.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

With the worst of the pandemic behind us, and life getting back to normal, there is still one huge overhang that refuses to go away — remote working. What started as a necessity has now become standard, at least for many companies.

Working remotely has become a smooth process these days, with tech like web conferencing seamlessly bridging the gap between the home and office. There are lots of great perks too – you might even live longer if you work from home (no, seriously).

If you’re looking for a remote job, be it fully working from home or hybrid, it’s good to know which ones allow it before you send in your application. Here are a few companies that allow you to work remotely from home, the industries and roles most likely to remote-job friendly, and how to work from home productively.

In this guide:

Companies That Let You Work Remote Jobs From Home

There are lots of companies that offer remote jobs in 2024, from large multinational corporations to small firms. These include:

  • Microsoft
  • AirBnB
  • Disney
  • Slack
  • Spotify
  • Dropbox
  • Uber

1. Microsoft

Microsoft is a huge champion of hybrid work, and for good reason. It sells a suite of software designed to facilitate communication between remote workers, notably the Microsoft Teams web conferencing platform, which has bridged the gap between home and office for many workers globally.

If you’re looking to join the tech giant though, make sure to ask if you’ll be allowed to work from home remotely. The company does allow it, but those who want to do it more than 50% of the time must have the request signed off by their manager. Make sure you’ve got it in writing before you sign that contract.

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Remote Work

2. Airbnb

It tracks that Airbnb, a company that specializes in traveling and vacations, would let its staff work remotely. You don’t even need to be at home. As of April 2022, the company announced that employees were free to work from home (or the office, if they chose), permanently.

In addition, employees are also allowed to move anywhere within the country that they live in, with no negative impact on salary. This isn’t the case with all companies. For example, last year Google implemented a calculator that worked out how much their salary would be affected depending on where they were located.

You don’t even need to stick to your own country — the remote working policy allows staff to work from over 170 counties for up to 90 days a year.

Even Airbnb’s CEO is ditching the office, using the company’s properties as temporary base.

3. Slack

Messaging platform Slack was ahead of the curve, announcing that employees could work from home permanently way back in June 2020, when the pandemic was only a few months in.

The company also stated that it would look to increasingly hire remote workers going forward — great news for all you non-commuters out there. CEO Stewart Butterfield recently confirmed that the company had hired “thousands of people who are in locations where we don’t have an office at all.”

4. ZenDesk

Zendesk claims to be one of the first companies to pivot to a full remote workforce during the pandemic.

Initially the company had planned for employees to return to the office two days a week, but after listening to staff, Zendesk announced that it was becoming a ‘digital first’ company in June 2022, with emphasis on allowing staff to be fully remote if they choose.

The benefits are compelling too. Staff are reimbursed for home office equipment and internet, have access to shared office facilities should they need it, such as WeWork, and also get an additional day a month off as part of ‘Recharge Fridays’.

5. Remote

It’s probably a no-brainer that if you call your company Remote, you’re going to let your staff work remotely. As it turns out, this is actually the case for this talent company that helps companies employ staff globally, as well as providing other associated services, such as payroll software. Not only that, but the company also offers unlimited PTO as a perk.

6. Dropbox

Dropbox has adopted what it calls a ‘virtual first’ approach to work. Remote working is the norm at the company, though there are opportunities for face to face meetings with teams should they be required.

The company made the move way back in October 2020, and even has it’s own virtual first toolkit for anyone seeking answers on how the company handles remote working.

7. Uber

The nature of Uber’s business model means that the vast majority of those that work for the company simply won’t be able to work remotely (not until we’ve cracked self-driving cars, that is). However, those that have desk-based roles at the firm are free to work remotely half of the time.

The company states that it still believes in in-person collaboration, so those looking for a fully remote position are likely to be disappointed. However, those that are happy to work in the office half the time might appreciate the company’s hybrid policy, where employees can choose to work in the office five days one week, and then none the next.

8. Disney

If you want to work for the house of mouse, choose your role carefully. Yes, the company does have fully remote positions, but it’s certainly not the norm throughout the company. In fact, on the 9th of January, CEO Bob Iger told staff that they would need to be in the office four days a week going forward. So, before you sign on the dotted line, make sure that the role you’re applying for is actually remote, without caveats.

9. Quora

If you’ve ever Googled a question, chances are you’ve come across Quora, a Q&A platform. And if you ask it ‘can I work from home?’ the answer will be a resounding yes. The company offers many fully remote roles, from product designer to community manager.

10. Toast

Point of sale provider Toast has a generous work from home policy – the company even pays your Wi-Fi costs if you choose to work remotely. The benefits don’t stop there, the company also offers sabbaticals and unlimited vacation, depending on the position.

Remote Work

11. Buffer

Buffer is a social media management platform, which has been fully remote since 2012. As well as allowing staff to work from anywhere, the company also gives individuals an allowance for co-working spaces, and even covers the cost of your coffee if you choose to work out of a cafe

12. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is an organization that helps workers find remote roles, so it makes sense that it practices what it preaches, with the company operating remotely since its inception in 2007. In addition, FlexJobs also has an open holiday policy, and offers employees a stipend for office furniture, tech, snacks and co-working spaces.

13. Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere is yet another company that went fully remote during the pandemic, and found it such a success that they have continued with it to this day.

Not only that, but the company has also been experimenting with four day weeks.

14. Hotjar

Unlike many of the companies on this list, web analytics company Hotjar didn’t jump on the remote working train during the pandemic – it had actually always operated as a fully remote employer. The company has in-person events twice a year.

The company states that hours aren’t monitored, and that staff are trusted to work manage their own workloads, although it does recommend that everyone is around during ‘core hours’, 2pm to 5pm CET.

15. Reddit

The social media platform was quick to set its remote working policy in stone, just six months into the pandemic. Essentially, the company is happy for you to work from anywhere, at home, in the office, or anywhere in between.

16. Intuit

Intuit is another firm which found its pivot to remote working accelerated by the pandemic. In an internal survey, the company discovered that 90% of its staff appreciated not having to commute, and just 6% wanted to be in the office full time. Because of this, it developed a flexible remote work policy that has stayed in place, post pandemic.

17. Skillshare

Skillshare a very generous remote work policy. Not only do you get to work from the comfort of your own home, the company will also pay for your internet, and you can also be reimbursed for your tea/coffee spend (up to $25 per month).

Skillshare employees also have unlimited vacation time, and if you have a day where you crave the office environment, Skillshare gives its workers budget to work at a shared office with Industrious Co-Working.

18. Adobe

Adobe is another company that made the shift to hybrid working during the pandemic. In 2021 the company announced that the shift to a remote-friendly model was to become permanent, although there is still a degree of flexibility at the company, and anyone who works better at the office is welcome to work there instead. The company offers both 100% remote roles, as well as hybrid.

19. GoTo

It’s perhaps not too surprising that the software company behind remote access products such as GoToMyPC and GoTo Meeting is remote first, with employees able to work from home. It also has an unlimited PTO policy.

20. Cisco

Another company that switched to remote working during the pandemic and never looked back, Cisco told its staff back in 2021 that they would never have to return to the office. The option is still there for those that want it, but the company continues to operate a very generous work from home policy.

21. Shopify

Shopify is very open to remote workers – in fact it actively encourages them. On the companies recruiting page it makes clear that it promotes flexible working for the mental wellbeing of its employees.

In addition, Shopify is happy for staff to work abroad for 90 days of the year, as part of its Destination90 program.

22. Revolut

Fintech company Revolut revealed in early 2021 that it was moving to a permanent remote working set up. In addition, the firm is happy for staff to work abroad, 60 days a year.

23. Spotify

It must have been music to employees’ ears when Spotify told its 6,000+ strong workforce that they were free to work from home or in the office should they choose. The choice is really up to the individual.

The company stated that it was looking to maintain the “perfect balance of flexibility, employment security, and job fulfilment.”

Companies That Don’t Offer Remote Jobs From Home

Before you get too cozy in your pajamas, beware. There are some companies that aren’t too keen on the idea of employees working from home. If you want a remote job, you’re going to want to avoid these.

Meta

In June 2021, Meta told staff that its remote working policy was a success, and that staff were free to work from home forever.

It seems that in Mark Zuckerberg’s mind, ‘forever’ is about two years, as in June 2023, the company announced that come September, staff were expected to spend at least three days a week in the office.

Twitter

Twitter was one of the first major tech companies to give the thumbs up to working from home during the pandemic. Staff could work wherever they felt “most productive and creative.”

All that changed recently when Elon Musk purchased the company. Not only did he fire half the company in his first week – those that were left were told to return to the office.

Musk is very vocal on his distaste for remote working, so if you want to work from home, steer well clear of any company that he is attached to.

Tesla

It’s Musk again. If you’ve ever thought of becoming part of Elon’s empire, then you might need to get your shoes on and leave the house. Musk has fiercely fought against the hybrid working trend, to the point where he demanded that Tesla staff who want to work remotely must be in the office at least 40 hours per week. Those that didn’t were told to depart Tesla.

In fact, back in July the company began tracking staff attendance, with those that don’t turn up receiving automated emails shaming them.

Apple

In stark contract with rival Microsoft, Apple has been feuding with its staff publicly in 2022, trying to get them back into the office. It has had several false starts and is currently demanding that Apple employees return to the office for a mandatory three days a week.

However, the employees aren’t onboard. Forming a group named Apple Together, they have campaigned for more flexible working arrangements and been very vocal in its criticism of management.

It looks like Apple CEO Tim Cook has a fight on his hands, but if you’re committed to being fully remote, we’d suggest waiting this one out before you submit your resume to Apple.

Google

Unlike Apple and Tesla, Google might let you work from home, but you’d be the exception. Much like Apple, the company has struggled to get its staff back to the office. Having previously mandated a three-day office week, which fell flat, the company relented slightly and softened its stance.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company would allow 20% of its workforce to be fully remote, with 60% in the office a “few days a week,” and the other 20% working in new locations.

So technically yes, your new Google job might allow you to work from home, but you’ll be one of the lucky ones. There might also be fewer Google jobs around in the near future, with the company issuing cuts and tightening the purse strings.

Amazon

In September 2022, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said that there were no plans to return to the office, stating: “I don’t really believe that we’re going to end up coming back to the office.”

It’s probably something of a shock to his staff then, that in February 2023, Jassy demanded staff be in the office at least three days a week.

Activision Blizzard

Despite being behind some of the biggest names in gaming, such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, getting a job with Activison Blizzard might not be all fun and games. The company, which is currently being acquired by Microsoft, has recently announced an end to its fully remote work policy. Starting from 10th April, all staff must be in the office at least three days a week.

Snap

Much like Twitter, Snap used to have a very generous remote working policy. In fact, it was one of the companies that embraced this new style of working early in the pandemic.

However, those days appear to be over now, with CEO Evan Spiegel telling staff that from February 2023, they need to be in the office 80% of the time. If you want to work remotely, don’t apply to Snap. If you currently work there, start looking around.

IBM

IBM recently ordered staff to return to the office for at least three days a week, if they are located within 50 miles of the office. The news came as a shock to some employees, with less than a week’s notice given to staff.

Work From Home


Top Remote Jobs and Industries

There’s no doubt that remote jobs are increasingly common, with tech advances in recent years meaning that your office can literally be anywhere. While lots of companies offer remote jobs, there are certain fields and roles where it’s more common to be able to work from home. Research from FlexJobs, a recruitment site, identified industries most likely to offer remote jobs:

  1. Computer & IT
  2. Marketing
  3. Accounting & Finance
  4. Project Management
  5. Medical & Health
  6. HR & Recruiting
  7. Customer Service 

Within these industries, it also revealed the top ten job titles posted:

  1. Accountant
  2. Executive Assistant
  3. Customer Service Representative
  4. Senior Financial Analyst
  5. Recruiter
  6. Project Manager
  7. Technical Writer
  8. Product Marketing Manager
  9. Customer Success Manager
  10. Graphic Designer

If you have an interest in any of these fields or roles, chances are good that you’ll be able to find a remote job. If not, don’t despair, there are still plenty of other roles that can feasibly done remotely, or you could always consider retraining.

Already working remotely? Check out our guide to the best remote collaboration tools to help your team stay connected from afar.

Is a Remote Job Right for Me?

At Tech.co, we’ve been writing about remote and hybrid working since way before the pandemic. We also know what we’re talking about — everyone on the team works remotely to some degree. If you’ve never worked remotely, then you might question if you can make it work — we think you can, but there are a few things to consider:

Discipline – With no eyes on you at home, compared to being in an office, you do need to make sure you can work without being distracted. If possible, try to find a space where you can focus and, most importantly, resist that TV remote. One good tip is to dress as if you were going into the office — it helps put you in a better frame of mind than your old pajamas do.

Collaboration – You might think that teamwork is tricky when working remotely, but there are so many tools at your disposal to help aid collaboration. Web conferencing is a key one — tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom allow you to catch up with your team, no matter where you are. Virtual meetings are a slightly different beast to real life ones — read our web conferencing tips to get the most out of your next call.

Security – Offices are very secure environments, locked down by IT departments. This isn’t always the case for those working from home, and the rise in remote working has also seen a rise in cyberattacks. We suggest enlisting the help of a password manager to help keep track of all your passwords securely. A good VPN is also essential if you’re going to be working out of a cafe and using public Wi-Fi.

Working hours – Don’t feel guilty about taking regular breaks. Getting up and stretching your legs for 10 minutes can have great regenerative effects. Remember also to set a time to log off. With a nonexistent commute and your work always at your fingertips, you might be tempted to work later. Try and resist blurring the line between your work and personal life with a clear set work pattern, and let coworkers know when you’ll be signing off for the day.

It’s also important to be wary of scams when looking for a remote job. Fraudsters have been using the remote work boom to falsely make job offers, and then defraud the victims. Read our guide on ways to avoid remote work scams to recognize the signs.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Why Disney’s U-Turn on Remote Work Could Backfire

As Disney follows in the footsteps of Twitter and Uber, could bringing back workers create more harm than good?
Written by
Updated on January 17, 2023

As the topic of remote working continues to split opinions, Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger, has recently ordered workers to return to the office for four days a week, replacing its three-day in-person policy that’s been in place since 2021.

The reversal will require Disney staffers to report to their US offices from Monday through to Thursday, in a move that bears a striking resemblance to recent marching orders made by companies like Twitter, Tesla, and Uber.

However, while this new policy intents to “benefit the company’s creativity, culture, and employees’ careers”, research suggests the cost of stricter return-to-office mandates could be more than financial.

Disney Brings Workers Back Four Days a Week

Bob Iger, Disney’s current CEO, has just sent out a company-wide memo, announcing that workers are now required to return to the office four days a week.

According to the memo, Disney employees will need to work from the office from Monday through to Thursday, what Iger describes as “targeted” in-office days.

When justifying these stricter measures, Iger — who made a surprise return to the office two months ago — cites the benefits this move would have to the company’s culture and creative processes.

“In a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe and create with peers that comes from being physically together.” – Bob Iger, CEO of Disney

While many business leaders have become champions of the WFH movement in recent years, Iger’s critical stance on remote working is nothing new. In fact, the CEO’s disdain can be traced back to December 2020, when he argued that working away from the office is not optimal for creativity.

But while Disney’s new workplace policies may be stricter than most, Iger’s opinions don’t exist in a vacuum.

Disney Isn’t the only Company to U-Turn on Remote Work

Despite remote work proving to be more popular than ever, a number of major US companies have made public announcements to repeal their WFH policies in recent months.

Most notably, after axing Twitter’s workforce by half, Elon Musk ordered a mandatory return to the office for the remaining workers. This represents a sharp 180 from a company that formerly told its employees they could work from home “forever,” as long as it was where they felt the most “productive and creative.”

The billionaire rolled out a similar policy at Tesla last year, before being exposed for not having enough room or resources to accommodate a full-time return to the office.

More recently, Uber’s CEO introduced the idea of ‘anchor days’ in October 2022, while Snap is implementing an 80% return to the office, set to begin at the end of February this year.

With 2023 expected to be a challenging time for businesses of all sizes, it’s no wonder that business leaders are making radical decisions. But, with the stakes proving to be higher than ever, are these policy reversals guided by research, or misunderstandings around workplace productivity?

Why the Mandatory Return to the Office Is Flawed

Working in an office does have tangible benefits, from improving collaboration to helping employees carve out clearer work-life boundaries.

Despite this, research suggests that impulsively demanding employees back into the office could actually backfire on businesses in a number of ways.

First, a Stanford University survey of over 5,000 employees revealed that worker efficiency is actually 9% higher among remote workers compared to staffers that were based in a physical office.

What’s more, further research by the employee monitoring software Prodoscore, which evaluated over 105 million data points, concluded that employee productivity actually rose by 5% during the pandemic WFH period.

This isn’t even to mention the clear benefits that flexible working has been shown to have on employee well-being, with flexible workers being shown to have higher levels of job satisfaction and commitment.

In the case of Disney, creativity concerns and issues with virtual collaboration lie at the heart of the policy reversal. But even if the case for productivity wasn’t strong enough, shouldn’t the company famed for building the “happiest place on earth” care a little more about the happiness of its employees?

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Microsoft Ends Windows 8.1 Support Today, Here’s What That Means

The end of support means the operating system will be vulnerable to security risks. Users should upgrade immediately.
Written by
Updated on January 17, 2023

After serving users for almost ten years, support for Windows 8.1, Microsoft’s serially overlooked operating system, has officially come to an end.

This means that while computers running 8.1 will function, all future technical, software, and security updates will no longer be carried out, leaving remaining users a target for threats like malware and viruses.

If your computer or tablet still runs on 8.1, it’s time to take action. Here are some easy ways to protect your devices from this discontinuation, including upgrading to Windows 10 or 11.

After Ten Years, Support for Windows 8.1 Has Ended

Windows has finally decided to shut the curtain on Windows 8.1, the outmoded operating system that has been serving Microsoft users since its launch in 2013.

This end of support coincides with the launch of Microsoft Edge 109 — the last version of Microsoft Edge that was built to support the dated operating system.

Windows 8.1 default start screen

Windows 8.1 default start screen. Source: microsoft.com

What does this mean?

According to an official blog post by Microsoft, computers that run on Windows 8.1 will still function, but the following services will no longer be provided to those who remain on the system:

  • Technical support 
  • Software updates
  • Security updates or fixes 

Critically, important programs like Extended Security Updates (ESU) are being axed too, leaving Windows 8.1 users vulnerable to all sorts of ominous security risks.

In simple terms, Microsoft’s lack of support means that Windows 8.1 users are no longer safe. But if you still remain on the sinking boat rest assured: there are a number of steps you can take to secure your device.

How to Use Your Device Safely 

  1. Download Windows 10 and 11

According to Microsoft, if you’re still relying on the outdated operating system the first thing you should do is migrate to Windows 10 or 11. Upgrading your system may come at a premium, but thanks to Microsoft’s relaxed updates policies securing a free upgrade shouldn’t be too hard.

Most Microsoft devices will be fully compatible with these newer releases. However, if your device doesn’t support Windows 10 and 11 you will be required to replace your device with a newer model.

2. Back up your data

If you’re switching to a newer system, it’s always worth backing up the files on your device. While most software updates go completely according to plan, data loss and damage do occur occasionally.

To cover all bases we recommend backing up your data on an external drive or network location. You can select a drive on Windows by selecting Start > Settings > Update & Security > Backup and then > Add a drive.

3. Use antivirus software

While Windows is a notoriously safe operating system, the software family is no stranger to security breaches and zero-day vulnerabilities.

Therefore, if you’re serious about keeping circulating threats like ransomware, malware, and viruses at bay, we would recommend fortifying Windows’ in-house security features with antivirus solutions.

According to our insights team, Bitdefender is the best antivirus software available to small businesses, while Surfshark One is the best option for freelancers, due to its rock-bottom starting price and VPN capabilities.

The market isn’t short of effective tools though, so read our guide to the best antivirus software to discover our top picks.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

What Is Quiet Hiring, and How Can Businesses Get It Right?

We break down quiet hiring, the next major employment trend. (Spoiler alert, it doesn't always involve hiring).
Written by
Updated on January 17, 2023

From “quiet quitting” to “quiet promotions”, 2022 blessed us with an assortment of novel employment concepts.

And according to employment specialists at Gartner, the hushed workplace saga isn’t slowing down just yet, with “quiet hiring” pegged to be the next major employment trend of 2023.

The concept, which describes employers filling in employment gaps without hiring full-time workers, draws many parallels with quiet promotions. However, if executed right, experts believe it could be beneficial to businesses and their workers.

Like its other ‘quiet’ predecessors, we probably should have heard this one coming. But for employers new to the practice, we dissect what the term means, and how it can be used to their advantage.

What is Quiet Hiring?

While we may have entered a new year, businesses are still plagued with many issues that dominated 2022.

Subsequently, as employers contend with skill shortages and increasing financial stresses, a new term has been coined to describe a common emerging response — quiet hiring.

In simple terms, quiet hiring occurs when employers address acute talent shortages by requiring employees to do more than what’s in their job description.

This might sound familiar to quiet promotions, the term which describes workers being lumped with extra responsibilities without receiving financial or professional recognition.

“The talent shortage that we talked about throughout 2022 hasn’t gone away… Every employer still has financial goals to meet — often, ambitious ones.” – Emily Rose McRae, Gartner research expert

However, according to Emily Rose McRae, the head of Gartner’s future of work research team and creator of the phrase, quiet hiring typically responds to temporary needs and can work out positively for both employers and employees when executed well.

As McRae tells CNBC, the phenomenon typically takes two forms; we break these down below.

Internal vs external quiet hiring

While both types of quiet hiring substitute the need to recruit full-time employees, internal quiet hiring takes place when employers juggle roles in-house by asking current workers to take on different assignments or responsibilities, according to McRae.

In contrast, external quiet hiring involves temporarily hiring short-term contractors to tackle skill shortages.

Is Quiet Hiring Quiet Exploitation?

While quiet hiring can present some valid solutions to businesses in a pinch, the trend is quickly gaining a reputation for being a new way to exploit workers.

This is because while burdening workers with extra responsibilities is nothing new, blindsiding workers by temporarily reassigning their job titles can lead them to feel like their needs aren’t prioritized, and that their former role isn’t important.

Quiet hiring can also result in unfair treatment if a worker is assigned tasks that far exceed their former title or don’t align with their current pay grade.

And this doesn’t even take into account the impact the trend could have on worthy candidates that are being snubbed from receiving new opportunities or moving up in their careers.

This being said, while the quiet hiring landscape may be a minefield for employers, it does allow struggling businesses to get by without resorting to brutal survival tactics such as Musk’s infamous “voluntary separation agreements”.

What’s more, there are ways the practice can work out to be mutually beneficial for both parties.

How Employers Can Get Quiet Hiring Right

According to Gartner’s in-house employment expert McRae, in order to execute quite hiring successfully, employers will need to be completely transparent with their workers.

By communicating exactly what this change will mean for them, in addition to explaining why it’s taking place, the potential fallout that could arise from workers being kept in the dark can be avoided.

Business leaders also need to take a proactive approach to upskilling their teams, to make sure they’re equipped with all the skills they need to carry out these new tasks.

“If you’re asking a bunch of people to make this move, you should be able to articulate: What does this mean for them?” Emily Rose McRae, Future of Work lead at Gartner  

Employers should also think about how this move can favor their worker’s professional progress. By leveraging the practice as a way to advance careers and lead to promotions, quiet hiring can act as a win-win.

Finally, it’s important to keep an open mind. Not every member of staff will be up for upheaving their job title. So, to make sure quiet hiring works for your team and not just your bottom line, employers need to respect these workers and meet their needs as much as possible.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

89% of Firms Say Elon Musk Inspired Them To Try Layoff Alternative

After acquiring Twitter, Musk told staff to work longer hours or he'd pay them to quit. Other companies took notice.
Written by
Updated on January 17, 2023

89% of businesses that offered voluntary separation agreements in 2022 in an attempt to avoid making more layoffs say they “took their cue” from Twitter chief Elon Musk.

After acquiring the social media platform last year, Elon Musk issued an ultimatum to Twitter’s staff: work longer hours and go “extremely hardcore”, or quit and receive severance pay – also known as a “voluntary separation agreement”.

Layoffs made the headlines on an almost-daily basis throughout 2022, with the tech sector witnessing record numbers of redundancies as the entire global economy suffered. While alternatives like voluntary separation are being explored, it’s unlikely to reverse the trend completely.

Musk: A Turbulent Trendsetter

According to a survey conducted by Resumé Builder, 89% of companies offering voluntary separation in 2022 said they were inspired by Elon Musk’s decision in November of last year to offer a form of such to staff who aren’t prepared to go “extremely hardcore” and do lots of additional work.

Famously, after making the announcement, Musk said employees only had until the end of the day to decide whether they wanted to stay or jump ship. As with much of his behavior at the helm of Twitter, he was widely criticized for the decision, and 1,200 employees resigned following his crassly delivered ultimatum.

Of the 89%, half (50%) admitted they were strongly inspired by the billionaire tech tycoon’s actions, while 39% said they were “somewhat” influenced by him.

Musk has been forced to make additional layoffs since then, but for the companies he inspired, it’s largely been a different story; 95% of businesses report that voluntary separation either was either “somewhat” or “highly” successful in preventing layoffs.

However, 53% of companies say they still need around 20% of their workforce to leave voluntarily to avoid making more staff redundant over the next year.

Voluntary Separation: the New Norm?

Over 95% of companies have admitted they are either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to offer voluntary separation to employees in 2023, in an effort to avoid continually making layoffs, Resumé Builder found.

61% of these businesses say they will offer even more voluntary separation agreements than they did this year while 49% of businesses that were yet to offer voluntary separation said they were likely to start offering agreements in 2023.

The hope for many executives is that employees already “quiet quitting” and doing the bare minimum that they’re contracted to do will simultaneously be most inclined to leave and least likely to be missed by the business.

The Downsides of Voluntary Separation

Although 90% of businesses said that voluntary separation will help them reduce costs, there is some fear that the practice could ultimately turn out to be counterproductive for companies.

68% of those who answered the survey admitted they worry that offering voluntary separation agreements will lead to the company losing its best employees.

If you give employees monetary incentives to leave their jobs, there will always be a proportion that takes you up on that offer. However, you’ll have to have to consider the effect making a string of layoffs will inevitably have on the morale of existing employees.

For tens of thousands of companies struggling in the current economic climate, 2023 will be full of difficult decisions like this. Whether turning to Elon Musk for direction again is a good idea, however, is certainly questionable.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Microsoft Teams Will Soon Have Video Filters

Made popular by Zoom, these video filters will allow you to change your appearance or the appearance of your background.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Microsoft Teams is starting the new year off with some fun updates, as the team collaboration platform is reportedly adding even more video filters to its conferencing tools.

It’s no secret that Microsoft Teams is constantly updating its platform. Just last year, the company launched a wide range of Microsoft Teams updates to improve the experience of the newly hybrid workers that have setup at home since the start of the pandemic.

This year is no different, as Microsoft Teams is hitting the ground running with some fun updates that will make your meetings a bit more entertaining.

Video Filters in Microsoft Teams Meetings

According to the Microsoft 365 roadmap, which provides an insight into the updating coming to the platform, Microsoft Teams will be adding fun video filters that can alter the apperance of attendees or their backgrounds during meetings.

“Video filters allow participants in Teams Meetings to augment their video stream with visual effects. The effects are provided by app developers on Teams Platform.” – Microsoft 365 roadmap entry

As noted in the Microsoft 365 roadmap entry, the filters will be created by app developers, so it’s safe to assume there will be plenty to choose from when they go live. The entry states that users can expect the new filters around February of this year.

Video filters like these have become increasingly popular on Zoom, where users have been replacing themselves with potatoes and other fun backgrounds for a while now. The new filters won’t serve much of a practical purpose beyond making work a little fun, which Microsoft Teams is already on top of with features like Games for Work.

Is Microsoft Teams Good for Business?

If your team has gone hybrid in the last few years, capturing that in-office culture can be tough. Some employees may be exclusively working from home, which means team members can feel a bit left out, which is never good for producitivity.

This is where Microsoft Teams really shines. Beyond providing the basic functionality of collaboration platforms, like project management and messaging tools, Microsoft Teams has a lot of fun stuff built in that can capture some of the company culture magic that promotes retention and prevents quiet quitting.

On top of that, it’s constantly being updated, so much so that we’re regularly covering the new features added to Microsoft Teams. Even better, the updates are regularly based on customer feedback, so the platform has quickly turned into a favorite for companies that need to get work done. Plus, with seamless integration with the rest of the Microsoft 365 system, it’s a no-brainer for companies already using services like Outlook.

Find out Microsoft Teams compares to Zoom.


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Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Musk Fires Twitter Staff Policing Hate Speech and Misinformation

The employees, based in Dublin and Singapore, are the latest Twitter staff to be given their marching orders.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Elon Musk has again made layoffs at Twitter, firing employees who work in a range of teams tasked with moderating content, hate speech, and misinformation on the social media platform. 

In November of last year, Musk said he would not be making any more layoffs at Twitter after firing huge swathes of his new workforce, a promise he has broken on more than one occasion since then.

Twitter’s payroll is now a fraction of the size it was when Musk took over, and the long-term future of the platform is now anything but certain.

Twitter Layoffs Continue

According to Bloomberg, anonymous sources told the publication that Twitter laid off “a dozen people” working at the company’s offices in Singapore and Dublin, who used to be responsible for monitoring and tackling the proliferation of hate speech on the platform.

Elsewhere, senior director of revenue policy Analuisa Dominguez was deemed surplus to requirements, as was recently-hired Asia-Pacific site integrity chief Nur Azhar Bin Ayob.

Workers that dealt with “global appeals” and “state media” have reportedly also been let go by the tech giant. 

Misinformation Policy Makers Axed

Bloomberg also detailed that Twitter has made redundant several members of the team responsible for working on the social media site’s misinformation policy. 

The facilitatory role Twitter plays in public debate and political discourse means preventing fake news from circulating on the platform – and having a sufficiently staffed team to enforce its misinformation policy – is of global importance.  

Whether Elon Musk considers this team a priority to invest in, however, is the only thing dictating its fate in the long run. The way bigotry has thrived on the platform since his takeover (something Musk himself denies) suggests does not bode well for the future of content moderation on Twitter.

Admittedly, among the firings, Twitter has increased staffing in some areas – including the appeals department.

What’s more, Ella Irwin, head of trust and safety at Twitter, has suggested the decision to merge two teams into one, of which the layoffs were a byproduct, was made for organizational efficiency.

Musk: Not a Man of His Word?

Back in November of last year, shortly after Musk took over, the Tesla chief gave his employees an ultimatum – work longer hours and accept a more “hardcore” culture, or pack up and leave. 

However, reporting at the time said he also confirmed there would be no more Twitter layoffs to come after that round of cuts. 

But this isn’t the first time that employees have been cut from Twitter since that pledge was made, with a number of employees in the company’s infrastructure team axed in December. 

The company is now just over a quarter of the size it was when Musk took over, with the 7,500-strong pre-Musk payroll trimmed down to the 2,000 still on the company’s Slack platform.

Twitter: A Rough 2023 Ahead

What more can you say about the situation at Twitter, a social media platform that just seems to get worse and worse by the week, with no real end to the chaos in sight?

The latest installment of this sorry story sees Elon Musk now embroiled in a shareholder lawsuit – which he wants to be moved out of San Francisco on the grounds that the jury couldn’t possibly be impartial considering he’s fired so many people that live in the area. 

What storm lies ahead for the social media platform in 2023 is anyone’s guess – and Elon Musk’s propensity to break his own word means even his own staff will be lucky to get a heads up.

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Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Amazon to Cut 18,000 Jobs in Largest Layoff Yet

CEO Andy Jassy said that eliminating thousands of roles at the company had been a "difficult decision" to make.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Amazon kicked off 2023 by announcing plans to axe more than 18,000 jobs at once – more than at any time in the company’s 28-year history.

The ecommerce behemoth is currently one of the world’s biggest employers with over 1.5 million people on the company payroll but has evidently decided that it cannot keep all of its current crop in post.

The news suggests that the litany of layoff announcements that sent shockwaves through the tech sector throughout 2022 are likely to continue into 2023, as grim economic conditions continue to force companies of all sizes to make difficult decisions.

Amazon’s Record-Breaking Redundancies

According to reports released earlier today, Amazon plans to cut almost 20,000 jobs from its workforce, confirming the concerning rumors that made their way around the tech sector in mid-December about the company’s plans to axe staff.

The BBC says that the losses will be felt most heavily in the business’s human resources and consumer retail divisions. The countries in which the cuts will take place are yet to be named.

CEO Andy Jassy said in a statement released today that the company has “weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past”, and claimed it would be wrong to expect entities like Amazon to be in “heavy people expansion mode” every single year of its existence.

In the same letter, Jassy says Amazon plans to “support those who are affected and are providing packages that include a separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits, and external job placement support”.

Amazon: Thriving or Surviving?

Amazon, like many ecommerce platforms, raked in record profits during the pandemic. Millions of people who would have usually headed down to the store to buy whatever they needed now had no other choice but to find and order it online.

However, as we’ve collectively made our way back to what can be described as “normal” life over the past year and a half, Amazon’s sales have been slowing down.

Since the pandemic, businesses have been less inclined to spend money on advertising, while consumers have reacted to the worsening cost of living crisis by tightening their purse strings.

Amazon is not alone, however, with other tech giants, such as Meta and Salesforce, also announcing significant cuts to their workforce as we head into 2023.

2023 Will be a Difficult Year for Tech

2022 was one of the most difficult years the modern tech industry has ever experienced, with many companies facing even tougher economic challenges than they did during the pandemic.

Over 150,000 layoffs were made in the tech sector throughout 2022, and this announcement from Amazon sadly signals that the trend is likely to spill over into 2023.

With the economy not expected to pick up any time soon, making smart investments in products and services that can make a genuine, tangible difference to your top line is crucial for companies in the tech sector and beyond.

Whether it’s cybersecurity products you need to keep your business safe or apps for managing projects,  ensuring you strike that balance between utility and affordability has never been more important.

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Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Tech Saw 150K Layoffs in 2022, Passing Early Pandemic Numbers

The retail and consumer tech sectors lost the most jobs in 2022, largely due to big cuts at Meta and Amazon.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Time to update your resume. A total of 153,160 tech employees left their positions across 2022, according to new numbers from watchdog site Layoffs.fyi.

That’s a highest number of tech layoffs and dismissals across the last two decades, and it handily beats the early pandemic spike in 2020.

Layoffs.fyi found a total of over 70,000 tech job losses between March 2020 and December 2020, followed by a dip to just around 15,000 jobs cut across all of 2021. Now, the economy has slowed further, and we can expect the trend to continue in 2023.

2022’s Biggest Losers? Meta and Amazon

Meta tops the list of tech company job losses, with 11,000 jobs cut at once in December 2022. That number accounts for 13% of the Facebook parent company’s total employee base, which is a far more impressive percentage of layoffs than the second-place company, Amazon.

Amazon cut 10,000 jobs with one layoff round in 2022, which adds up to just 3% of the company’s massive employee count.

Other top ax-swinging companies include the Amsterdam-based Bookings.com, which cut 4,375 employees (25% of its workforce), and communications company Cisco, which cut 4,100.

Twitter came into fifth place for jobs cut, with 3,700 — although those employees add up to a full 50% of the social media platform’s workforce.

The Biggest Sectors Hit in 2022? Retail and Consumer

The tech retail industry lost about 19,600 jobs last year, while the consumer tech sector lost about 19,700. That’s in large part because of the biggest companies to institute layoffs. Meta’s contributions accounted for around half of all consumer layoffs, while Amazon accounted for about half of all retail losses.

Other sectors that lost the most positions in 2022 include transporation, finance, and food, in that order.

Healthcare layoffs were up considerably from the 2020 layoff spike, too, with almost 100 healthcare tech companies terminating over 11,100 employees in 2022. Ed-tech businesses cut over 8,000 jobs in 2022 as well, signalling a slowdown in the industry following an early-pandemic boom.

Don’t Panic

All these statistics might sound bad for tech labor, but there’s a silver lining: The large majority of those who are laid off will land another job quickly, with nearly 80% getting a job within three months of layoff, according to some studies.

This is not an absolute historical low point when it comes to tech-world layoffs, either: The 150,000 jobs lost in the past year don’t come close to the dotcom bubble that burst back in 2001, when two million jobs disappeared.

But it is a sign that the tech industry is preparing for a shaky 2023 amid a looming recession. Brush up on your skills, polish up your resume, and hope you don’t join the next wave of tech worker layoffs in the new year. We’ll be right here, continuing to track the latest ups and downs in tech sector jobs across the year.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Experts’ Predictions for the Future of Tech in 2023

We've combed through hundreds of top tech predictions from industry experts – here's what to expect in 2023 and beyond.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

Tech.co’s roundup of tech predictions has become an annual new year’s tradition, and we’ve always introduced it with a quick look at what decades-old pop culture thought would be happening that year. 2022 was the year of Soylent Green, 2019 had both Blade Runner and Akira, and even 2021 had Johnny Mnemonic.

But the pickings are slim for 2023, aside from an X-Men sequel and one story from a 1980s Twilight Zone revival. In that episode, called “Quarantine,” a man from 2023 takes a cryogenic nap, waking up to find a world that has abandoned technology entirely.

Wait, on second thought, that sounds like a Utopia: All the rest you could want, followed by a world without any notifications or emails?

You might have a few centuries left before all technology is obsolete, but don’t go to sleep just yet. We’ve sifted through over two hundred opinions from experts and industry insiders about what to expect in tech evolution across the next twelve months. These are the most fascinating predictions they had to offer.

What’s to come…

We Use AI as a Tool for Humans, Not a Replacement for Them

By far the most-predicted tech advancement for the new year? Businesses adapting more AI processes than ever.

While AI has been a buzzword in tech circles for years and years, actual use of the technology has not been widespread. But in 2023 — facing economic headwinds and tighter budgets — more businesses will figure out how artificial intelligence can help them on a practical level. Varun Ganapathi, Ph.D., CTO and co-founder at healthcare AI company AKASA, highlights that relation to financial instability, saying that “out of all software, AI is the most deflationary force. Deflation basically means getting the same amount of output with less money — and the way to accomplish that is largely through the use of automation and AI.”

And, since AI programs offer a modular solution, they’re easier than ever for companies to adapt them.

“I like to think of this using a construction analogy: in the past, we built AI brick by brick. It was time intensive, and we needed experts to ensure every brick was laid with precision. Now, instead of bricks, the industry has evolved to use prefabricated homes that you can build in a day.” – Anmol Bhasin, CTO, ServiceTitan

But AI won’t be so useful as to replace humans. Any job is a series of tasks, and AI is more useful at a set task than at an entire job. AI won’t take over for anyone, because AI programs will still need executive decision makers to point them at the right problems.

“People thought the big hold-up for AI would be creativity, but ironically it may be the reverse. It may be that AI will actually help us become more creative — by seeding us with initial ideas that we can build upon and refine.” – Ganapathi

Sara Varni, CMO of Attentive, also argues that an economic-spurred push for optimization and efficiency will naturally lead to AI and automation, saying that “AI isn’t just helping marketers write higher-performing copy or even telling them when to send messages—it’s helping us figure out what to send in the first place.”

In honor of AI, we generated our lead image for this article using an AI platform.

Interestingly, a few predictions singled out one industry in particular as ripe for AI aid: Music.

AI Reaches the Music World

“I think artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the tech world in 2023,” says machine learning engineer Amey Dharwadker. The creative arts are augmented, not replaced, by these types of tools.

“For example, machine learning algorithms will be used to create original music compositions and visual art, as well as analyze and classify different art and design styles.” – Dharwadker

Ramiro Somosierra, founder and editor at Gear Aficionado, cites existing services like Soundful, which allows for the creation of music tracks with a few clicks. “Probably the impact will not be that noticed in the mainstream, but I really believe that the ‘functional’ music industry will be shaken up,” Somosierra says, referring to the field of background or beat music typically used for marketing or other content in which the music isn’t the centerpiece.

“As someone with a deep interest in both AI and music, I think that finally, 2023 will be the year when we will start seeing this technology disrupt the music scene.” – Somosierra

Businesses Will Go Green. Or At Least Become Greener.

With the EU shooting to be climate-neutral by 2050 and the US passing one of its greenest climate bills yet just last August, the global push to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions has seen headway. But many businesses have yet to get onboard with contributing measurable evidence that they care about the future of the planet as much as the future of their stakeholders’ pocketbooks. 2023 may be a tipping point.

“2023 will be a year when both parties find common ground on the energy transition in order to lower energy prices, strengthen the country’s power infrastructure, and create skilled, good-paying jobs. The permitting reform from the incoming chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee aims to expedite permitting for all energy projects and grant a boost in wind installations across states, such as Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas, from the production tax credit.” – John Horton, CEO, CPower

With bipartisan support, Horton states, thousands of green jobs will be introduced to the local market, forming a symbol of national unity. Steve Raeder, CEO for Summit Ridge Energy, has a similar position, saying that the Inflation Reduction Act will provide strong tailwinds for long-term growth in community solar. But recessionary pressure is another reason why the energy issue is a tricky one.

“Ratepayers, particularly those with income levels below the median household average, need alternative, lower-cost energy solutions now more than ever.” -Raeder

Demand for home solar and electric vehicles is way up, indicating consumer interest that could drive the corporate world towards greater changes as well, such as better monitoring their hardware supply chain infrastructure to streamline it and reduce shipping waste.

But software supply chains will also have a big year in 2023:

Continued Software Supply Chain Instability Invites Large-Scale Attacks.

Google is blowing the whistle on open source software vulnerabilities, with large-scale cybersecurity incidents like Log4shell shining a light on the consequences of failing to address risks. Major supply chain attacks seem likely to grow, even if recent executive orders to shore up the area for government vendors is a step in the right direction.

“We need to see more companies focus on strengthening their security practices, from considering a zero-trust approach to further securing infrastructure services (e.g. code signing, PKI, and hardening the release process).” – Zoom CISO Michael Adams

Some solutions could be bringing in third-party risk assessments, identity and access management, and timely patching. After all, the term “supply chain attack” can be misleading. The majority of the problems originate from mistakes or oversights that have left the chain open to attack in the first place. Seal those issues up, and you’ve halted a lot of potential attacks before they start.

“I believe that the bulk of discoveries arising from improvements in supply chain visibility next year will highlight that most threats arise from mistake, not malice.” – Jon Geater, Chief Product and Technology Officer at RKVST.

Supply chains aside, experts predicted one additional cyber-battleground will be a top concern in the new year: Web browsers.

Browser Security Becomes a Top Enterprise Priority

In just the last two or three years, we’ve shifted towards remote and hybrid workplaces in a big way. And that’s transformed the web browser from an innocuous home application to a fundamental workplace productivity tool, points out Tal Dery, co-founder and CTO of Red Access.

“For the average enterprise employee today, the web browser functions more like a central operating system than just another application — serving as their primary gateway to the digital world of work. In 2023, we’ll see browsing security and management go from a secondary consideration to a central concern and point of security for organizations both large and small.” – Dery

Other remote-first work developments might include advancements in AR meeting rooms or meaningful shifts towards cloud computing, even in industries that have resisted cloud technology in recent years, such as government agencies or the financial sector.

Increased Tool Consolidation Across the Cybersecurity Market

Cybersecurity might be improving, but that doesn’t mean it’s expanding. In the new year, expect to see your security department striving to avoid any signs of bloatware or any new tech stacks that aren’t fully justifiable. But that’s easier said than done.

“There’s no hiding that the cybersecurity market is overly complicated. In our experience, it has been extremely difficult for customers to decide which technologies are crucial and which are extraneous – as every new product on the market claims to be the ‘silver bullet’ for malware.” – Lalit Ahluwalia, CEO & Global Cybersecurity Lead, Inspira Enterprise

And, since our experts also predict that 5G will usher in even more “internet of things” devices in the near future, the need for a streamlined, effective cybersecurity strategy will be greater than ever.

Ahluwalia notes that closing gaps in security tech and closing inefficencies with integrating it are two major ways to shore up existing defenses. The key here is to shift the security focus to a desired outcome – and then figure out what the really essential tools are to achieving it.

The Rise of Digital Twins

Speaking of cutting out any tools that aren’t essential, we see heavier corporate use of digital twins in the near future.

Businesses are relying more and more on digital twins when seeking real-time feedback on new processes or products. This term refers to a software simulation designed to replicate a real-world device or devices. With digital twins, businesses can see how a new item, or system might react in certain environments or stressors, letting them pick apart the strengths or flaws behind a new design or material at a fraction of the time and cost that a physical stress-test would require.

Manufacturing industries love this tool, since it delivers quick and accurate predictions of error.

“The data in point clouds can be used to create digital representations of real-world objects; supply chains can be built and optimized; processes and pieces of machinery can be automated with the help of technologies like AI; safety can be enhanced; quality control and predictive maintenance can be perfected. Construction, aviation, healthcare, and academia, among others, will all see dramatic improvements in efficiency and cost savings as a result.” – Steve Rose, Vice President, MoneyTransfers

Maya Natarajan, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Neo4j, also predicts the continued rise of digital twins, thanks to their broad functional versatility.

“Whether it’s construction, supply chain, or cybersecurity, digital twins offer analytical capabilities that enable organizations to gain complete visibility into their inventory, networks, vulnerabilities, and more.” – Natarajan

The End of the Fintech Boom

Not every industry will fare well amid a constricting economy, and the warning signs are already showing for the fintech sector, which had been booming in the decade leading up to 2020. Data from investment management firm Finch Capital shows fintech funding hit $6 billion in 2020 and $19 billion in 2021 – only to drop 25% across 2022.

Fintech won’t collapse, but growth will keep slowing, predicts Matt Smith, the CEO and co-founder of compliance technology and data analytics firm SteelEye.

“The number of new fintech firms founded is down 85% since 2020. Market consolidation continues, and fintech M&A spiked in the first half of 2022, with 591 recorded deals.” – Smith

We Start “Editing” Nature More


Has nature been doing its own thing for long enough? 2023 could be the year that we start making nature work better for us with a little something called gene editing.

OK, perhaps it’ll take a few more years after that to safely perfect our customization abilities. But the potential is there, according to James Rehm, Chief Operating Officer at Skuuudle. Once perfected, the process can be similar to word processing, allowing us to delete or replace specific genetic material.

“I think we’re headed toward a future where we can modify anything from DNA to entire ecosystems to see how they work together. As a result of advancements in nanotechnology, we will be able to design materials with novel properties like resistance to water and the ability to repair themselves. Even while CRISPR-Cas9 has been available for a while, the pace at which gene editing technology is developing in 2023 will greatly increase our power to ‘edit nature’ by modifying DNA.” – Rehm

Applications for the gene editing process might include eliminating food allergies or creating healthier farm crops, as well as the correction of DNA mutations.

This will all usher in plenty of debates on the ethics, of course, but that’s nothing new for the tech industry, where data privacy laws and questionable AI database biases are regularly discussed. One thing’s for sure, if gene editing really does take off in the new year then we’ll be getting some good Black Mirror episodes out of it.

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

The Best Microsoft Teams Tips and Tricks

Keyboard shortcuts, captions, do not disturb and even games - we uncover the best Microsoft Teams hacks.
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Updated on January 17, 2023

It’s been one heck of a year for hybrid workers. From the swaths of tech layoffs to the bounty of newly remote jobs around the country, a lot has changed in 2022, and that couldn’t be truer for everyone’s favorite team collaboration platform: Microsoft Teams.

Over the last year, Microsoft Teams has added a wide range of new features and functions to its platform, improving productivity, facilitating team communication, and even adding a little fun to the workplace. In fact, there are so many new additions to the platform that we wanted to make sure our readers were fully up to date on what you can do with Microsoft Teams.

In this guide, we’ll cover some of the tips and tricks that make Microsoft Teams such a popular collaboration platform in the business world.

Facilitate Team Communication

The goal of web conferencing software like Microsoft Teams is to stay in touch with your team, which could explain the name. Subsequently, there are a lot of features aimed at facilitating better communication, whether it be in video meetings or in message threads.

Here are some tips and tricks to do just that:

Search for message threads

As any employee that has used a messaging platform like Slack can attest, the importance of being able to find previously sent messages is unparalleled. Whether you’re trying to track down a link you misplaced or just need to find out what that particular campaign is called, tracking down archived messages shouldn’t be a hassle.

Microsoft Teams understood that, as the platform launched an update in September that allowed users to take it a step further and search for full-on message threads, so you can see everything discussed rather than a single message. This gives a lot more context when it comes to searching for messages and can much more effectively keep team members in touch.

Live translated captions

The hybrid work movement has made working from anywhere a possibility across the business world. Subsequently, many managers have used that to their advantage, hiring employees from different countries than their own. That can present some language barriers, though, which could hamper your ability to keep communication lines open on your team.

Luckily, technology has advanced quickly enough that this problem needn’t concern Microsoft Teams users, as the platform now offers live translated captions during meetings. The fully software-based system provides fast, mostly accurate translations, so shooting the breeze with your co-workers across the world will be easier than ever.[/vc_column_text]

Microsoft Teams Live Translated Captions

Short video messages

Virtually every study in business says that video is the future. From TikTok to Zoom, the medium has become increasingly popular for everything from entertainment to communication. While Microsoft Teams has offered video conferencing for a while now, sometimes a more modern and creative way to stay in touch is wanted.

That’s why the platform added the ability to send and receive video messages right on the platform. Dubbed Video Clips, the feature allows users to record short video clips for explaining processes or providing vital information for a project. It’s largely aimed at hybrid work teams that may not have the schedule to manage short meetings for small details.

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Improve Productivity

While facilitating effective communication is obviously important for platforms like Microsoft Teams, it certainly wouldn’t hurt if productivity went up as well. After all, Microsoft Teams markets itself as more than just a video conferencing tool, so what else can it do to give your team a little extra when it comes to productivity?

It turns out, quite a bit! In fact, the reason Teams is so widely used by businesses is because it offers features that go beyond communication and make actual work easier for employees. Here are a few ways to use Microsoft Teams to improve productivity.

Picture-in-picture functionality

Whether you’re in an office or working from home, video calls have become part of your everyday life. As many employees will likely agree, not every single video meeting requires your full attention, which means that getting a little work done during the lulls could really improve your productivity. Unfortunately, some video conferencing platforms make it hard to access other apps or sites while you’re in a meeting.

But not Microsoft Teams! Thanks to a recent update, the Microsoft Teams app on iPhones and iPads allows for picture-in-picture functionality, so you can access other apps while in a meeting. It even provides an adjustable window, so you can choose exactly how much screen space your video meeting takes up.

Intelligent recap

The power of artificial intelligence has been used numerous times to improve productivity in business. Microsoft Teams is no different, with plenty of automated, intelligent features aimed at helping your team work more efficiently. One of them is the intelligent recap on meetings, which offers an AI-powered post-meeting summary provided to all attendees.

Released in an October update that saw a wide range of Teams improvements, intelligent recap is still a bit rudimentary, recapping everything in the whole meeting rather than picking out specific important aspects. Still, given the pace with which Microsoft Teams is updated, we’d imagine this feature will get quite helpful in the coming months.

eSign integrations

We all know that signing in and out of various accounts is a huge time waster when it comes to everyday business. In fact, Microsoft Teams used to have an esign integration that allowed users to sign online documents that required users to sign into the account every single time they used it.

Fortunately, that is no longer the case, as a recent update solved the problem by allowing users to sign in every 30 days, rather than every single day. Sure, it may seem small, but those tiny improvements to the site can make a big difference when it comes to bolstering productivity.

Have Some Fun

Work doesn’t always have to be about work. With work-life balance becoming more and more important to employees and employers in 2022, finding a way to engage your team outside of work can go a long way in retaining top talent and encouraging productivity.

Microsoft Teams is designed to do more than just host meetings and get work done. The platform is made to bring coworkers together beyond the confines of work projects in order to build a culture that people actually want to work within. Here’s how Microsoft Teams brings a little fun to the workplace.

Games for Work

If you’ve ever played an icebreaker at the beginning of a meeting, you know there’s a dire need for updated standards of fun. Video conferencing platforms can give you the video chat functionality to talk to your team, but that doesn’t mean it can actually make your games fun.

Well, Microsoft Teams actually can make your games fun, as it provides four of its own directly in the platform. That’s right, Microsoft Teams recently launched a new feature called Games for Work that offers Minesweeper, Solitaire, Wordament, and IceBreakers are all available directly on the platform and can be played with coworkers.

Microsoft Teams Games for Work

Jazzy hold music

The only thing worse than being put on hold is having to do so in silence. Phone calls have hold music, elevators have elevator music, and fortunately for users, Microsoft Teams has hold music too!

That’s right, an update from November allows admins to add hold music to Microsoft Teams, which will activate when calls are transferred between employees. It might not be considered fun but try not to dance when those life jazz beats start pumping through your laptop speaker in between meetings.

Basic Functionality

Microsoft Teams has so much to it that it can be easy to forget some of the most basic features built into the platform. In an effort to give you a little more insight into what Microsoft Teams can offer you, here are a few basic functionality tips that can help you use the platform to its full potential.

Keyboard shortcuts

In 2022, keyboard shortcuts are built into virtually every platform you can imagine; you just have to figure out which ones work for you. Here are some of the most helpful keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams:

  • Search: Ctrl + E
  • Start new chat: Ctrl + N
  • Shut off camera: Ctrl + Shift + O
  • Mute meeting: Ctrl + Shift + M
  • Open filter: Ctrl + Shift + F
  • Turn on background blur: Ctrl + Shift + P

There are a lot more, but those are a good starting point. For more information on the keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams, check out the website to see a full list.

Filter messages

Team messaging platforms are great, but with larger teams, they can get a bit cumbersome. After all, not every single team member needs to be looped in on every single communication, which is where filtering messages can be really helpful.

Like Slack, Twitter, and many other platforms, Teams utilizes the “@” symbol to allow users to tag and filter messages to specific. Just type out the symbol and starting write a person or group name and you’ll be given a drop-down list of options for your messages.

Do not disturb

No one wants to be available for messages at all times. Sometimes, a little down time to get on a roll and finish work is needed, which is where changing the settings on your notifications comes in handy.

Unlike your phone, Microsoft Teams doesn’t have a dedicated Do Not Disturb mode, so if you want to get a little privacy, you’ll have to head on over to the settings page and deactivate notifications for the time being. Make sure to put a time limit on, though, as you won’t want to miss anything important that comes in later in the week. And hey, if you don’t want to be disturbed by this platform, check our some Microsoft Teams alternatives in the meantime.

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Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Six New Tech Startups to Look Out For in 2023

Running a tech startup in 2022 was no easy feat. Meet the budding businesses that are defying the odds. 
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Updated on January 17, 2023

With over 305 million start-ups being created every year globally, standing out from the crowd is a huge challenge. Only companies with cutting-edge concepts and crystal-clear market strategies stand a chance of surviving through their first year, let alone making a profit.

We’ve scoured the startup scene to find out which budding businesses have made big waves in 2022 — and whose growth is showing no signs of slowing down. From state-of-the-art clean energy solutions to breakthrough podcasting platforms, here are six new tech startups you should be keeping an eye on in 2023, and beyond.

Reverion

Taking a proactive approach to dealing with the climate crisis, Reverion is a Munich-based startup that’s gaining momentum at a rapid speed. As the clean energy market rises exponentially, Rerverion aims to solve some major challenges plaguing the sector by rethinking the way biogas is extracted.

After researching the field for seven years, the brains behind the company have figured out a way to optimize the efficiency of the process by using fuel cells. According to Reverion’s CEO Stephan Herrmann, this novel strategy is able to improve the efficiency of biogas extraction from 60% to 80%, a far cry from the 0.2% jump in efficiency that’s taking place annually.

And in addition to streamlining biofuel production, Reversion is also developing ways to improve energy storage for when supply exceeds demand, taking a multi-pronged approach to sustainable power generation. 

The Bavarian startup has already secured  €7 million in June this year and has landed a place on Tech Crunch’s Top 20 Startup Battlefield. With Reverion currently piloting 10 module power plant units — enough capacity to power 100 households each — needless to say we’re eagerly following the company’s next steps.

Valar Labs

Another startup that’s dedicated to changing the world for the good, is Valar labs. The Palo Alto-based company uses emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technology to tackle pressing questions in cancer care.

The company, which was founded in 2021 by researchers from Harvard and Stanford, has invested in clinical-grade deep learning to unlock the potential of image data, helping oncologists make much more informed decisions about their patients.

By using breakthrough technology to solve one of the world’s longest-standing problems, Valar Labs has the potential to bring cancer care forward by leaps and bounds. In a medical field where current tools aren’t going far enough to reduce uncertainty, this breakthrough is pretty major.

This April, the startup raised a staggering $4 million in a seed funding round. The company’s founders, Damir Vrabac, Anirudh Joshi, and Viswesh Krishna, intend to use these funds to expand their operations and development efforts, so we’re expecting big things from the biotech company going forwards.

Wander

Also founded in 2021, Wander is a short-term rental startup that works in a similar way to apps like Airbnb and Vrbo. Unlike its competitors, however, Wander owns each property it lists and caters explicitly to digital nomads — a growing population of workers that can work anywhere with a stable internet connection.

Screenshots from Wander's mobile app.

Screenshots from Wander’s mobile app. Source: wander.com

Tapping into the US 16.9 million-strong market of digital nomads (up almost 10 million from 2019) has proved to be a smart move for the Austin-based company. The startup accrued 30,000 users on its waitlist in under a year, as well as over 2,000 founding members, each agreeing to pledge $100 during the company’s beta phase.

“We want to create the infrastructure to experience the world. With the pandemic you realize [digital nomads] are your banker, your lawyer. It’s really everyone.” – Wander CEO John Andrew Entwhistle

Wander’s apex came in 2022, however. In October the company launched Altas, an initiative that gives Wander customers the opportunity to invest in the homes they book. The startup is expecting this scheme to double their number of available rentals by 2023, and with Credit Suisse just pledging to invest $100 million into the company, it looks like Wander’s dream might soon become a reality.

Skio

While the ecommerce industry has cooled a little since the pandemic, it’s still estimated to be worth $905 billion in the US alone, and riding this wave are companies like Skio.

Founded in 2021, Skio is a software startup that makes it easier for brands on Shopify to sell subscriptions. Bridging the gap between fintech and infrastructure, the New-York based startup helps brands achieve this in various ways, from scheduling payments and taking care of consumer processes.

By using modern solutions like passwordless logins and one-click checkout to provide a seamless experience to their customers, Skio has been able to grow much faster than similar services. And in addition to attracting high-profile customers like Bev, Kave Beauty, and Muddy Bites, the company boasts an impressive near-zero churn rate — and investors are taking note.

Throughout its short lifespan, Skio has already been able to attract a total of $7.4 million in funding through investors like Combinator and Adjacent. And with the company continuing to profit off dissatisfied ReCharge customers – its software rival – we think we’ll start hearing its name even more in 2023.

Phantom

NFTs and other types of blockchain are fast entering the mainstream, but gaps in financial and crypto literacy still create barriers to entry for average Joes looking to invest. Phantom aims to solve this problem, by providing people with a user-friendly digital wallet for storing and managing NFTs.

Phantom appFounded in 2021 in Silicon Valley, the startup initially ran on the Solana blockchain platform to host its activities. However, the software recently expanded its support to Ethereum and Polygon to bring communities together from across the web3 space and to expand its user access even further.

And its supported assets aren’t the only thing that’s expanding. In just six months after its launch, the app welcomed 2 million active users, and its current user base is estimated to be upwards of 3 million. However, this is only a drop in the ocean to Phantom’s co-founder and CEO, who sees the platform assisting anywhere from 10 to 50 billion users in the near future.

While these figures might sound unrealistic to some, Phantom’s upwards trajectory is unquestionable. The crypto company has already achieved unicorn status this year and secured $109 million in series B financing to support its transition to Ethereum and Polygon. Needless to say, we’re expected to see a lot more of this app in 2023.

Callin

The podcasting and multi-media market is a notoriously hard one to break into. Seeming to break this mold is Callin, a podcasting app that allows users to create and enjoy live audio content all from one streamlined platform.

Launched in 2021, the new silicon valley startup looks to combine the best aspects of social audio with a brand new concept called “social podcasting”. According to David Sacks, the startup’s founder, this notion combines the best aspects of social audio, such as live conversations and social discoverability, with podcasting, creating a first for the industry.

Straight off the bat, Callin was able to raise $12 million in funding from investors including LAUNCH and Goldcrest Capital. It currently boasts over 10,000 downloads on the Play Store alone, and as the podcasting industry continues to boom — with ad revenue following in hot pursuit — 2023 is poised to be a very good year for the disruptive platform.

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Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

Business Owners Share Their Best Recession Tips for 2023

The looming recession of 2023 has businesses spooked, but these experts have some advice for surviving the worst of it.
Written by
Updated on January 17, 2023
Let’s be honest, 2022 has not been a fun year for tech companies. Between the massive layoffs that have hit virtually every business in the country and the rising rate of inflation, it’s safe to assume that economic conditions are likely contributing to the sleepless nights of employees and employers alike.

Even worse, experts have noted that 2023 isn’t going to be much better. The looming recession is poised to put pressure on businesses of all shapes and sizes, which could mean more layoffs and even shuttered businesses if you can’t find a way to make ends meet.

A recession isn’t a death rattle for all businesses, though. With the right strategy, you can fend off a recession, and we’ve tapped a wide range of business experts, entrepreneurs, and founders to provide you with some advice on how to survive the upcoming recession in 2023.

Take Care of Your Money

The first thing many business owners think about when a recession hits is money, which is a good idea. In all likelihood, profits are going to be lower and costs are going to be higher, so keeping track of your funds in a more comprehensive and detailed way can make a big difference for getting through the toughest of times.

“Take care of your cash flow: you need to have money in your hands, and you need to know where it goes, where it comes from, and how often it comes and goes.” – Garrett Yamasaki, founder of WeLoveDoodles

That doesn’t necessarily mean you should be cutting across the board, though. If you want to make it through a recession, you need to make money on top of keeping costs low, ensuring that your cash reserves aren’t depleted before the economy can rebound. Subsequently, you need to find ways to invest in areas of your business that make money.

“The more you can invest in your marketing, in your customer service, and in your employees, the better off your business will be once the economy starts to recover. When you play it safe, your business falls off and you just might not recover from it. So, keep going. Every single day. Like the economy isn’t in shambles. Your business depends on it.” – Amy Weiher, founder and creative director at Weiher Creative

Your best bet is to make a plan and stick with it. Take stock of your finances, find areas that can be profitable, and invest. Likewise, there are likely some areas of your business that don’t directly contribute to your revenue stream that can be tabled until the recession is in the rear-view mirror. Simply put, it’s all about planning.

“Use the data and build a 90-day budget. You should have a clear understanding of what items have high cost and don’t directly drive revenue, in addition to which channels perform better than others.” – Sara Hanlon, partner and cofounder of Peer Sales Agency

Focus on Priorities

Money is always at the forefront of the mind during a recession. However, if you want to make it through these tough times, you’re going to need to keep in mind that money isn’t the only thing that keeps your business running. In fact, there’s another, arguably more important asset that drives your business to succeed more than anything else: people.

“The most important thing for you to do first is to concentrate on your customers, as they are the lifeblood of your company. You must understand your customers’ needs and interests in order to provide them with the best possible customer experience.” – Neil Anders, vice president of Rockstar Lifestyles

That’s right, your customers are key to your success, but they aren’t the only people that make sure your business functions properly on a day-to-day basis. Your employees will also need some attention, particularly given that a recession is likely taking an even heavier toll on them than on your business.

“If your employees are feeling stressed and anxious about the future, they won’t be able to do their best work. Make sure to provide them with fair treatment and reasonable expectations and make plans to keep them informed about the company’s progress throughout the recession.” – Jeroen Van Gils, CEO of EcoLife

Ask for Help

Recessions put a serious strain on economy, but the government is designed to help in these kinds of situations. If you don’t think you’ll make it through the worst it, you should absolutely investigate some government assistance programs that can give you a little help when the cards are down.

“Many government programs provide assistance to small businesses during recessions; staying informed about these relief efforts can help business owners access financial aid when needed.” – Rajesh Namase, cofounder of TechRT

Those that consider asking for help as weak are rarely in a good position when hard times come along. The government can obviously provide assistance, but if you really want to ensure your business can make it through the recession, you’ll want to branch out and ask from help whoever is in your corner.

“Lean on your network. Reach out to your professional network and ask for help. This could include asking a mentor or colleague for advice or even getting a loan or grant from a local government program. Knowing that you have people in your corner can give you the confidence and resources you need to move forward.” – Caitlyn Parish, founder and CEO of Cicinia

Get Creative

It’s easy to maintain the status quo when times are good. Unfortunately, during recessions, doing the same stuff that always worked won’t pay off, as the times they are a-changing. The key to surviving a recession is to get a bit creative with how your business operates.

“In a recession, it’s vital to innovate and adapt. Find creative solutions to keep your business fresh and up to date. Challenging times often require flexibility.” – Gareth Parkin, the founder of GoPromotional

Don’t just be creative for the sake of creativity, though. Branching out from your standard operations requires specific planning and concrete strategy to ensure that you aren’t going too far out on a limb. But if you can get creative and prepare effectively, the sky is truly the limit.

“Though surviving a recession can be daunting to a small business owner, with preparation and creative solutions there is no limit to its potential growth.” – Oberon Copeland, owner and CEO of Veryinformed.com

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.

The Worst Scams of 2022 – and How to Protect Yourself

2022 has been full of scams. We've made a list of cybercriminals' favorite tactics, so you won't get caught out in 2023.
Written by
Updated on January 17, 2023
Unfortunately for businesses and consumers alike, 2022 has proved to be an incredibly fruitful year for scammers.

Cybercriminals from all four corners of the globe have wasted no time targeting email inboxes, WhatsApp chats, Facebook’s marketplace, and Crypto wallets during the past twelve months, utilizing the latest social engineering techniques to dupe unsuspecting victims into parting ways with their private information and hard-earned cash.

Being aware of the scams that took place in 2022 – and knowing what’s out there as we head into 2023 – is one of the best ways to protect yourself. In this article, we cover:

Zelle Facebook Marketplace Scams

Zelle Facebook marketplace scams have been some of the most widely searched scams of the year. According to our tools that measure the search volume of keywords, tens of thousands of people have been searching Google for information on these scams every month.

Zelle is an app that allows users to send money between banks. All that is needed to transfer cash is the receiver’s email address or phone number. Zelle doesn’t offer payment protection plans for financial transactions authorized by account owners.

This state of play has made Zelle a favorite for scammers. In one type of Zelle Facebook marketplace scam, a “buyer” – who is actually a scammer – contacts a seller, requesting their email addresses in order to pay them via Zelle for an expensive item.

However, no payment is sent. Instead, the scammer sends a fake email purporting to be from Zelle, detailing how the product has been bought using a business account, and that to receive the payment, the seller must have a business account too.

The scammer then pretends they’ve received a similar email and informs the seller that they have transferred some money to cover the seller’s business account upgrade (they haven’t) and asks to be reimbursed, banking on the fact that the seller won’t check their account before doing so (Image Credit: Reddit user u/ImRoxi)

Zelle Scam

This isn’t the only way payment systems like Zelle, which require little verification and have no payment protection, can be exploited. The volume of searches around Zelle scams suggests there are likely multiple methods currently in use.

“Hi Mum”/“Hi Dad” WhatsApp Scams

WhatsApp has been a hotbed for scams in 2022, and one scam that has been spotted multiple times this year is the “Hi Mum”/”Hi Dad” scam (Image Credit: Mosman Collective).

Hi mum Whatsapp Scam picture

In this scam, the threat actor impersonates their target’s child and pretends they’re simply messaging them from a new phone number.

The scammer will then construct a story, such as pretending they’re stuck in a foreign country and their bank card isn’t working, in order to coax targets into sending cash via a bank transaction or some other form of money transfer. Several different iterations of this scam have been observed in 2022, with a number of different “stories” deployed by cybercriminals.

Crypto Scams

In terms of total money fraudulently obtained, there are few scamming methods that have reached the dizzying heights that crypto scams have.

In June of this year, the FTC reported that more than 46,000 people had lost a combined $1 billion to crypto scams since the beginning of 2021. This amounts to one out of every four dollars lost to scams and makes it by far the most fraud-laden type of payment.

In the first quarter of 2022 alone, $329 million was lost to crypto scams by US citizens.

The vast majority of stolen cryptocurrency is taken through investment-related scams (typically fake investment opportunities), while romance scams are also a popular scamming method that was used to illegally obtain bitcoin and other digital currencies from unsuspecting victims in 2022.

Romance Scams

Romance scams aren’t all about cryptocurrency – in fact, they have a much wider reach.

Romance scams involve victims being duped into sending money to criminals who have convinced them, through various means, that they have romantic intentions that have already or will lead to a loving relationship (Image Credit: Reddit User u/curlyangel85)

Romance Scam

It’s entirely unsurprising that romance scams have taken off when you think about it. As the saying goes, love really is blind – it’s the ideal emotion to put at the center of your social engineering operation and can lead even the most sensible of people to willfully ignore blatant warning signs.

One romance scammer even found himself at the center of one of the most-watched documentaries of the year, the Tinder Swindler, which was released just before Valentine’s Day – a time of year that usually sees an explosion of romance-based fraud.

Shimon Hayut, who masqueraded as a millionaire businessman to extort a collection of women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, was initially arrested in Greece in 2019.

Between the year of Hayut’s arrest and 2021, romance scams increased by 25% – and multinational credit reporting company Experian predicts the statistics will soon show 2022 was another blockbuster year for perpetrators of this scamming method.

Geek Squad Email Scam

Best Buy – and more specifically, its computer support service Geek Squad – hit the headlines throughout 2022 after scammers consistently impersonated the company and tried to con hundreds of thousands of customers.

Geek Squad is a subsidiary of Canadian electronics corporation Best Buy and offers various on-demand tech support services for clients. The service is widely used across both the United States and Canada.

The high frequency of Geek Squad scams has led the FTC to put out several alerts showing people how to spot them (Image Credit: FTC).

Geek squad scam

Geek Squad scams come in many forms, with scammers contacting prospective victims via email, text, and over the phone. One version of the scam is called the “auto-renewal scam”(an example of which is pictured above) which looks to scare the victim into acting quickly by threatening a renewal of an expensive subscription if they don’t act.

However, Geek Squad “overpayment” scams, as well as Geek Squad “tech support” scams – the latter of which involves threat actors subsuming remote control of victims’ computers to fix non-existent problems and instead steal their information – have also been spotted.

Cash App Scams

Cash App scams were another collection of scamming methods widely used throughout 2022 to try and con victims out of their hard-earned cash.

Cash App scammers will deploy a myriad of different social engineering methods to achieve this, including pretending to send “random” payments, offering investment opportunities, impersonating the company’s customer support, and demanding you “re-verify” your account.

Some Cash App scams even play off the companies #cashappfriday competition, and demand victims pay a fee before their “prize” is released.

As well as traditional scamming methods, there have been several reports this year of Cash App scammers utilizing physical debit cards in their operations. Some scammers have reportedly bought stolen details on the dark web, and started posting unsolicited Cash App debit cards to the people the stolen information belongs to while also setting up Cash App accounts in their name.

Inside the Cash App mail, victims will find instructions to scan a QR code to set up their Cash App card – but as we know, the account has already been set up by the scammer, and they’ll have access to any funds that their victims deposit.

Because Cash App is so regularly impersonated by scammers, it’s important to treat all correspondence purporting to be from the company with great caution.

Google Voice Scams

Google Voice is becoming an increasingly popular choice for businesses that need a VoIP solution – and naturally, this means scams have increased too. Now, Google Voice is being used to steal people’s phone numbers and, in turn, other personal information.

Google Voice scams require a prospective victim to have first posted something online along with their phone number – maybe they’re selling something on a site like Craigslist, or have lost their pet.

The scammer will track down these users and claim they want to purchase such an item, or that they’ve found their lost pet. However, they request that you verify your identity before continuing.

The scammer will then send victims a “verification code” – but what they’ve actually done is set up a Google Voice account with the victim’s phone number and this is the two-factor authentication code that Google will send to devices when new accounts are registered (Image Credit: FTC).

Google Voice text

Victims who are duped into going along with the full scam and handing over this verification number have now allowed the scammer to set up a Google Voice account using their info.

Eva Velasquez, President & CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), told NBC12 that have taken “thousands of calls to the center from victims of this scam”, with 6,700 reports coming in the last 15 months.

Paypal Scams

Paypal is one of the most commonly impersonated brands, and if you take a second to think about it, you can probably work out why – it’s a money-transferring service that sends out large volumes of correspondence and information to customers regarding transactions they’ve made or received.

Last year, the Better Business Bureau found that Paypal was the most commonly impersonated payment system, and was used to scam people significantly more than Zelle:

BB table showing paypal scams

In 2022, Paypal is still being regularly utilized in “classic” phishing campaigns, in which social engineering techniques are deployed to coax victims into handing over their details. These attacks can take place via text or email.

However, there are also “advanced fee” scams, in which victims are conned into sending money to scammers on the proviso that they will be sent more back (which never happens).

“Overpayment scams”, on the other hand, often require more complex hacking and subversion tactics to make it appear as if victims have been transferred a large amount of cash. They are then asked to send it back, after which those who fall for the scam simply send their own money over to the criminal.

Amazon Scams

In 2022, SMS is still being used by scammers as an avenue to wreak havoc, and it’s likely they’ll continue to flood our phones with malicious links as we head into 2023.

Amazon is a particularly popular choice for scammers at this time of year, with millions of people expecting text communications from the company relating to items they’ve ordered, which will naturally make their hit rate higher.

Amazon scams often claim that someone has made a payment on or gained unauthorized access to a victim’s account and that they need to take immediate action, or that they’ve recently missed an order. Other scammers will construct bogus competitions with the promise of monetary prizes.

Amazon text message scams include malicious links that will load malware onto your device or allow a threat actor to subsume remote control of your phone.

Amazon, which tracks phishing campaigns that utilize their name and other brand assets, warns that “fraudsters can now insert their scam messages into a thread of legitimate messages that you might have received from us.”

With this in mind, it’s always safest to contact Amazon another way, and avoid clicking links in text messages altogether.

How to Protect Yourself From Scams in 2023

As we’ve mentioned previously, the best defense you have against scams is knowledge. Being able to recognize the common formats scam messages typically take is vital.

If you’re a consumer, remember the golden rule: if you weren’t expecting to receive correspondence from a company and you have, or something just doesn’t seem right, contact the company’s customer support channel.

On top of this, never hand over your phone number, email address, bank details, or any other personal information unless you’re completely sure you’re talking to a legitimate representative of a company with whom you have prior dealings.

Remember: If you’re ever in doubt, don’t give your information out.

If you’re a business owner, on the other hand, regular training for employees, which could include exercises like phishing simulations, online cybersecurity courses, and enforcing password best practices, is crucial to keeping your systems safe.

After all, you could have the most watertight security system money can buy, but if employees aren’t clued up, they’re just as much of an exploitable vulnerability as a misconfigured firewall.

However, that’s not to say tech can’t help. Password managers, for example, can ensure that employees aren’t just reusing passwords, or not making them long enough, in an effort to remember them. If account information is stolen during a scam, this will greatly minimize the damage any given threat actor can do.

These are just one example of a step you can take to protect your business. If you’d like to stay up to date on news regarding the latest scamming techniques, data breaches, and software vulnerabilities, as well as the latest tech you need to bolster your defenses, sign up for Tech.co’s weekly email newsletter today:

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Written by:
Isobel O'Sullivan (BSc) is a senior writer at Tech.co with over four years of experience covering business and technology news. Since studying Digital Anthropology at University College London (UCL), she’s been a regular contributor to Market Finance’s blog and has also worked as a freelance tech researcher. Isobel’s always up to date with the topics in employment and data security and has a specialist focus on POS and VoIP systems.
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