Tobi Lutke, the CEO and founder of Ottawa-based Shopify, has today declared the end of “office centricity” and has decided to keep company offices closed till 2021, Reuters is reporting. “As of today, Shopify is a digital by default,” Lutke tweeted while noting that most of the staff will continue to work remotely on a permanent basis.
With over 5,000 employees as of December, Shopify briefly became Canada’s most valuable company earlier this month. The e-commerce firm’s latest move comes as businesses adjust to the impact of COVID-19, which is also expected to reshape the future of office spaces after the pandemic ends.
Shopify, which has a market value of CAD $119 billion, has seen its stock jump about 117% this year.
Shopify becomes the first major Canadian company to allow staff to work from home permanently, even as many large manufacturing companies, including Bombardier, gradually bring back some of their workers following reopening plans announced by Canadian provinces.
Facebook and Google are also allowing most of their employees to work remotely until the end of this year.
