There’s a lot of discussion right now about where people should work. Office vs remote. Hybrid models. Rules, recommendations, minimum days.

We’ve kind of skipped that whole conversation.

At Forward Forever, we don’t have a defined model. No hybrid policy, no office quotas. Instead, we’ve chosen something simpler: we trust people to choose what works for them.

What that means in practice

Our model is fully flexible.

There are no rules about how often you should come to the office. No minimum days. No tracking. No expectations to “show your face.”

Everyone can decide where they work best.

And interestingly — even without rules — people still choose to come to the office. Not every day, not even every week, but regularly enough. To meet colleagues, to have breakfast together, to celebrate milestones, or just to change scenery.

As an employer, we don’t try to engineer this. We simply make sure the opportunity is there.

The moments we do come together

Even with all the flexibility, there are a few moments during the year when we intentionally get everyone together.

Twice a year during spring-summer time we have a bigger company get-together — every other year in Finland, every other year somewhere abroad. Over the past few years that’s meant Portugal, Spain… and next up, Hungary.

And then there’s the Christmas party, of course.

On top of that, teams organize their own meetups if and when it makes sense. Some do more, some less — both are completely fine.

Why this model works for us

Our culture is built on trust.

We don’t believe that productivity or impact depends on a specific location. We believe people are capable of making good decisions about how, where, and when they work best.

Flexibility also plays a big role in supporting work–life balance — something we genuinely value, not just in words but in everyday choices.

This model isn’t about maximizing office attendance or optimizing remote efficiency. It’s about creating an environment where people can do their best work in a way that fits their lives. To thrive in this type of environment, specific work life skills play a bigger role, such as self-leadership and planning skills.

How we build connection without rules

A common question is often tied to the conversation regarding office vs. remote work is how to maintain culture if people aren’t in the office all the time?

There’s no single trick.

We create opportunities to connect — both online and offline — but ultimately, culture isn’t something FF “runs”. It’s something people build together.

We’re lucky to have a genuinely welcoming and inclusive group of people. That shows in how new joiners are brought in, how colleagues support each other, and how naturally connections form even in a flexible setup.

Starting at Forward Forever

When someone new joins, we encourage them to spend a bit more time at the office — not because they have to, but because it helps.

Meeting people face-to-face early on, getting a feel for how things work, and building initial connections can make a big difference.

At the same time, they are part of both an internal team and customer teams, which brings structure and makes it easier to find their place quickly.

After the first day, they have the same freedom as everyone else.

In the end

We’re not trying to find the perfect hybrid model or put a label on it.

We’ve just chosen to trust people.

And so far, that has worked perfectly for us.