Remote Work Glossary
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Software employers use to collect, filter and manage job applications.
Asynchronous Work (Async)
A way of working where teammates don't need to be online at the same time — progress happens through written updates instead of live meetings.
At-Will Employment
A mostly US arrangement where either side can end the employment at any time, for almost any reason.
Base Salary
The fixed, guaranteed amount an employee is paid, before bonuses, commission or equity.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)
A change to pay intended to keep up with the rising cost of living or a move to a pricier location.
Deep Work
Focused, distraction-free work on a cognitively demanding task — highly valued in remote roles.
Digital Nomad
Someone who works remotely while travelling or living in different countries rather than a fixed home base.
Distributed Team
A team whose members work from different locations rather than a single shared office.
Employer of Record (EOR)
A third-party company that legally employs a worker in their country on behalf of another business.
Equity
Partial ownership of a company offered as part of a compensation package, usually as shares or stock options.
Flexible Hours (Flextime)
An arrangement that lets employees choose when they start and finish work, within some limits.
Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)
A unit that expresses a workload as a fraction of a full-time schedule.
Ghosting
When a candidate or employer suddenly stops responding during hiring, with no explanation.
Hybrid Work
A model that splits time between working remotely and working from a physical office.
Independent Contractor
A self-employed worker hired for services without becoming a formal employee of the company.
Location-Based Pay
A pay model where salary is adjusted to the cost of living or market rate of where the employee lives.
Location-Independent Pay
A pay model where everyone in the same role and level earns the same, regardless of where they live.
Notice Period
The amount of advance warning an employee or employer must give before ending the job.
On-Target Earnings (OTE)
Total expected pay when performance targets are met — base salary plus on-target commission or bonus.
Onboarding
The process of integrating and setting up a new hire so they can become productive.
Overemployment
Secretly holding more than one full-time job at the same time, usually two remote roles.
Paid Time Off (PTO)
Days an employee can take off work while still being paid — covering holiday, personal and sometimes sick leave.
Professional Employer Organization (PEO)
A firm that co-employs a company's staff to handle HR, payroll and benefits — typically within one country.
Remote Work Stipend
A recurring or one-off allowance to cover a remote employee's home-office, internet or coworking costs.
Remote-First
A company built so that working remotely is the default, with no head office acting as the centre of gravity.
Restricted Stock Units (RSU)
Company shares granted to an employee that convert to real stock as they vest over time.
Return to Office (RTO)
A policy requiring employees who had been working remotely to come back to a physical office, fully or partly.
Take-Home Assignment
A practical task candidates complete on their own time as part of a job interview process.
Timezone Overlap
The hours during which a remote worker's schedule intersects with the rest of the team's working hours.
Vesting
The process by which an employee earns their equity gradually over time, rather than all at once.