The Bell*: VK has banned employees from working remotely outside of Russia

The Russian company VK has banned its employees from working remotely from outside Russia. This is written by The Bell* with reference to the company’s post, which was posted on the intranet.

From the document, which the publication read, it follows that VK retains the ability to work remotely, but only from the territory of Russia. The company confirmed this information in an interview with The Bell*. The internal letter also suggests choosing a suitable location for further work and agreeing with management.

As stated in the post, it’s important for the company “to strike a balance between employee comfort and business efficiency.”

“Our products are more focused on the Russian market. It is important for us to be in the same context as the users and to understand their needs,” the letter states.

VK is a Russian technology company which notably owns the social networks VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.

The Bell* source said most companies in the market are trying to locate work with key IT data and systems in Russia for security reasons. However, according to the publication’s interlocutor, companies do not dismiss valuable employees who work from abroad, “and agree with them on the working format individually.”

In mid-January, the telegram channel “Let’s explain” writing citing sources that VK intends to lay off all its employees who left Russia and work remotely if they do not return to the country. According to one of the sources, such a requirement is linked to server security concerns and the desire to prevent leaks in the company. At the same time, then the source of RBC in the business arguedthat VK is not going to lay off remote employees, because the market is experiencing a shortage of IT specialists.

In December 2022, Andrey Klishas, ​​head of the Federation Council’s Committee on Constitutional Legislation, confirmed media reports of the drafting of a bill that would include remote work restrictions for Russians who left the country. The senator noted that remote work for employees in certain fields, for example public administration, utilities and energy, “creates risks” for Russians. February 20 State Duma published a resolution stipulating that IT professionals who have gone abroad should be prohibited from working remotely on state information systems, as well as in the field of maintenance of critical infrastructure or personal data. In October, The Bell* wrote that some state-owned banks began laying off employees who left Russia after the mobilization was announced and worked remotely.

* Recognized as a foreign agent