The pandemic has changed the way we think about work—not only how and where that work is performed, but how we are compensated for it. The rise of remote work and its explosion in popularity spurred by the global health crisis has some large firms considering location-based pay models for remote workers. Google, for example, offers employees a calculator to see how their salaries would be impacted should they move and work remotely. By changing their locale, they could experience significant pay cuts. “Our compensation packages have always been determined by location, and we always pay at the top of the local market based on where an employee works from,” said a Google spokesperson, adding that pay will differ from city to city and state to state. However, the dystopian undertones of cutting pay for remote workers depending on where they choose to live have been pointed out by many employees and workforce experts alike. “What’s clear is that Google doesn’t have to do this,” said Rosenfeld. “Google has paid these workers at 100% of their prior wage, by definition. So it’s not like they can’t afford to pay their workers who choose to work remotely the same that they are used to receiving.”