Nubank Ends Remote Work and Fires 12 Employees: What This Means for Developers in 2025

Hello HaWkers! News generating intense debates in the Brazilian tech community: Nubank officially announced the end of the 100% remote model and mandatory transition to hybrid model starting 2026. The situation became even more controversial when the Banking Workers Union revealed that 12 employees were fired after publicly criticizing the decision.

Do you think remote work is an earned right or just a temporary pandemic benefit? This Nubank decision could be the beginning of a larger trend affecting the entire Brazilian tech industry.

What Happened

In October 2025, Nubank internally communicated that it will end the 100% remote work model, mandatorily implementing the hybrid model from January 2026:

Nubank's New Hybrid Model:

• Mandatory presence: 3 days per week in office
• Remote days: 2 days per week at home
• Exceptions: Only documented medical cases
• Adaptation period: 3 months to change or termination
• Affected offices: São Paulo (main), Berlin and Mexico City

Company's Official Justification:

• Improved collaboration between teams
• Strengthened organizational culture
• Greater innovation through in-person interactions
• More effective onboarding of new employees
• Alignment with "market practices"

The Dismissal Controversy

According to the Banking Workers Union, 12 employees were fired after expressing criticism of the new policy in internal company channels:

Timeline of Events:

Day 1 (announcement):

• Nubank communicates change to hybrid model
• Employees express concern in internal channels

Day 3:

• Group of employees creates document with objections
• Over 200 signatures in 24 hours

Day 7:

• 12 employees who led the document are summoned for individual HR meetings

Day 8:

• Dismissals are communicated
• Official claim: "Organizational restructuring"

Day 10:

• Banking Workers Union demands public explanations
• Case gains national attention

Nubank's Official Statement:

"The dismissals are part of a planned restructuring and are unrelated to internal demonstrations. We respect all employees' right to expression."

Union's Statement:

"This is clearly retaliation against employees who exercised their legitimate right to question decisions that impact their professional and personal lives."

Why This Matters for Developers

This case isn't isolated - it represents a growing trend in the Brazilian and global tech market:

Brazilian Companies That Switched to Hybrid in 2024-2025

Company	Previous Model	New Model	Start
Nubank	100% Remote	Hybrid (3 days)	Jan/2026
Mercado Livre	100% Remote	Hybrid (3 days)	Aug/2024
iFood	Flexible	Hybrid (2 days)	Mar/2025
Stone	Hybrid (1 day)	Hybrid (3 days)	Sep/2024
QuintoAndar	100% Remote	Hybrid (2 days)	Jan/2025
Creditas	Flexible	Hybrid (3 days)	Nov/2024

What Changed?

2020-2022: The Golden Age of Remote

• Companies adopted remote out of necessity
• Discovered productivity maintained or increased
• Saved millions in office costs
• Competed for talent offering total flexibility

2023-2024: The Gradual Return

• Major American techs started RTO (Return to Office)
• Amazon, Google, Meta demanded return
• Brazilian companies observed the trend
• Internal debates about culture and innovation

2025-2026: The New Reality

• Hybrid becomes the "new normal"
• 100% remote becomes exception, not rule
• Companies reinforce control over physical presence
• Market adapts to post-pandemic reality

The Debate: Remote vs Hybrid vs In-Person

Arguments in Favor of Remote

Productivity:

• Stanford Study (2024): 13% more productivity in home office
• Fewer interruptions and unnecessary meetings
• Flexible hours allow work during peak focus times
• Reduction of 2-4 daily hours in commuting

Quality of Life:

• More time with family
• Savings of $100-300/month on transportation, food and clothing
• Flexibility to live in cheaper cities or near family
• Better work-life balance

Inclusion:

• People with disabilities have more opportunities
• Single parents can work
• Professionals in smaller cities access larger markets
• Reduction of discrimination by physical appearance

Sustainability:

• Reduction of CO2 emissions
• Fewer cars on streets
• Lower energy consumption in offices
• Contribution to cleaner cities

Arguments in Favor of Hybrid/In-Person

Collaboration:

• Spontaneous conversations generate innovation
• Whiteboarding sessions more effective in person
• Complex problem-solving benefits from face-to-face interaction
• Internal networking facilitates career growth

Organizational Culture:

• Harder to create connections remotely
• New employees absorb culture better in person
• Stronger sense of belonging
• Corporate rituals reinforce values

Mentorship and Development:

• Juniors learn by observing seniors
• Pair programming more natural in person
• Informal code reviews happen organically
• More frequent and contextualized feedback

Management and Alignment:

• More direct team supervision
• More productive strategic meetings
• Facilitated alignment between areas
• Fewer communication misunderstandings

What the Data Says

Survey with 5,000 Brazilian Developers (2025)

Model Preference:

• 58% prefer 100% remote
• 32% prefer hybrid (2-3 days in-person)
• 8% prefer 100% in-person
• 2% indifferent

Impact on Job Choice:

• 72% would reject offers without remote flexibility
• 45% would leave current job if they lost remote
• 83% consider flexibility more important than high salary
• 91% would accept 10-15% salary reduction for full remote

Self-Reported Productivity:

• Remote: 78% report equal or higher productivity
• Hybrid: 68% report equal or higher productivity
• In-Person: 52% report equal or higher productivity

Well-Being Impact:

Aspect	Remote	Hybrid	In-Person
Stress	Low (62%)	Medium (48%)	High (71%)
Satisfaction	High (74%)	Medium (52%)	Low (38%)
Work-Life Balance	Good (81%)	Fair (58%)	Poor (43%)
Mental Health	Good (69%)	Fair (51%)	Concerning (45%)

The Nubank Case: Deeper Analysis

Why Nubank Really Changed?

Official Reasons vs Speculations:

Official (company statement):

1. Improve collaboration and innovation
2. Strengthen organizational culture
3. Facilitate new talent onboarding
4. Alignment with market standards

Speculations (based on anonymous internal sources):

1. Real Estate: Long-term contracts in expensive offices need justification
2. Control: Senior management prefers in-person supervision
3. Performance: Some teams showed productivity drop (not all)
4. Turnover: Remote employees switch jobs more easily
5. Silent reduction: Forcing office return causes voluntary resignations

Impact on Technology Teams

Most Affected Developers:

• Residents of other cities who moved
• Parents of young children
• People with specific health conditions
• Professionals who accepted lower salaries for flexibility

Employee Options:

1. Accept and move/commute: Forced adaptation to new model
2. Negotiate exception: Some got individual agreements
3. Resign: Many already started looking for alternatives
4. Resist and risk: Wait for possible policy changes

What This Means for Your Career

If You're Job Hunting

Good news:

• There are still 100% remote companies in Brazil
• International market values Brazilian remote devs
• Smaller startups maintain flexibility as differentiator
• Many companies still in light hybrid model (1-2 days)

Reality:

• Large corporations increasing in-person days
• Salaries for remote positions may be lower
• Competition for remote positions significantly increased
• Traditional benefits (transport, meal) regained weight

Strategies:

1. Be Clear in Interviews:

   • Ask explicitly about work model
   • Confirm if there are change plans in next 12 months
   • Request agreed flexibility in writing

2. Diversify Options:

   • Keep profile updated on international platforms
   • Consider contractor/freelance to maintain autonomy
   • Build network in remote-first companies

3. Value Genuine Flexibility:

   • Remote-first culture company > company that "allows" remote
   • Check if leadership also works remote
   • Ask about tools and processes for async work

If You're Employed

Preventive Actions:

1. Document Your Performance:

   • Keep record of deliveries and achievements
   • Prove remote doesn't affect your productivity
   • Be proactive in communication and visibility

2. Build Relationships:

   • Actively participate in video meetings
   • Cultivate relationships with managers and peers
   • Demonstrate engagement with company

3. Prepare Plan B:

   • Regularly update resume and LinkedIn
   • Keep market contacts warm
   • Have financial reserve for eventualities

4. Negotiate with Data:

   • If your company considers change, present productivity metrics
   • Propose lighter hybrid model as compromise
   • Show real commute costs vs benefits

Brazilian Companies Maintaining 100% Remote

For those who won't give up flexibility, these companies still maintain fully remote model:

Remote-First Startups and Scaleups:

• Hotmart: 100% remote since 2020, no plans to change
• Pagar.me: Optional permanent remote model
• Resultados Digitais (RD Station): Remote-first with optional office
• Contentools: 100% distributed since foundation
• Sympla: Maintains remote after Movile acquisition

Service/Consulting Companies:

• Thoughtworks: Flexible hybrid (dev's choice)
• CI&T: Remote-first with optional hubs
• Trybe: 100% remote by design
• Lambda3: Nationally distributed

International with Teams in Brazil:

• GitLab: 100% remote globally
• Automattic (WordPress): Historic remote-first
• Toptal: Remote freelancer marketplace
• Buffer: Globally distributed company

💡 Tip: Companies born remote-first are more reliable to maintain the model than companies that adopted remote because of pandemic.

The Future of Remote Work in Brazil

Predictions for 2026-2027

Most Likely Scenario:

• Hybrid consolidates: 3 in-person days becomes standard
• Remote becomes niche: 10-15% of tech positions remain 100% remote
• Polarization: Large in-person companies vs remote startups
• Exceptions increase: Seniors and specialists negotiate remote

Impact on Cities:

• São Paulo/SP: Traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels
• Smaller cities: Lose tech professionals who need to return to capitals
• Real Estate: Renewed demand for properties in major centers
• Infrastructure: Renewed pressure on public transportation

In Job Market:

• Salaries: Remote companies may pay less by accepting more candidates
• Competition: In-person positions have fewer candidates, may pay more
• Turnover: Developers switch jobs more seeking flexibility
• Shortage: Talent shortage worsens in inflexible companies

Lessons from the Nubank Case

For Employees

1. Nothing is guaranteed: Earned benefits can be reversed
2. Document agreements: Have flexibility arrangements in writing
3. Keep options: Always have plan B in market
4. Organize: Collectives have more power than individuals

For Companies

1. Communication is crucial: Abrupt changes generate revolt and turnover
2. Listen to employees: Ignoring feedback creates resentment
3. Be transparent: Real motives vs corporate speech generate cynicism
4. Consider real costs: Losing talent may cost more than flexibility

For the Market

1. Global trend: Brazilian companies follow American techs
2. Model diversity: Market accommodates different approaches
3. War for talent: Flexibility is competitive weapon
4. Cultural change: Will take years to stabilize

Conclusion: Prepare for a Market in Transition

The Nubank case is just the tip of the iceberg of a larger change happening in the Brazilian tech market. The dream of permanent remote work, which seemed consolidated in 2021-2022, is being tested by the corporate reality of 2025.

The inconvenient truth: Large companies have economic and cultural incentives to bring people back to office, regardless of productivity data.

The good news: The market is diverse. There will always be companies that value flexibility and others that prefer physical presence. Your task is to find one that aligns with your priorities.

Questions you should ask yourself:

1. How much is remote flexibility worth to you in salary terms?
2. Are you willing to move or make long commutes?
3. Does your career benefit more from in-person networking or remote deliveries?
4. Do you have rare enough skills to negotiate flexibility?

This is a moment of redefinition in the tech job market. Be strategic, be flexible (ironically), but above all, be realistic about what you can and cannot control.

If you want to understand more about changes in the tech market, I recommend: Companies Rehiring Former Employees Amid AI Advancement: The Age of Boomerang Employees where we explore another important trend in today's market.

Let's go! 🦅

📚 Want to Stand Out in the Tech Market?

In a transforming market, mastering your technical skills is more important than ever. Companies value developers who deliver results, regardless of work model.

I've prepared a complete guide for you to master JavaScript and become a sought-after professional:

Investment options:

• $4.90 (single payment)

👉 Learn About JavaScript Guide

💡 Developers with solid fundamentals have more negotiating power over work flexibility.