Google employees in the US who opt to permanently work from home in the future may face having their pay cut, the BBC reports.

The firm has developed a calculator that lets its employees see what the impact would be on their salary depending on where they choose to work, and whether they work from home, or in an office. One Google employee, who has a 2-hour commute to his office in Seattle, told Reuters he faced a 10 per cent pay cut if he decided to work from home full time.

Google is not alone in looking at the issue. As the BBC report notes, big tech firms including Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter have all offered less pay for employees based in locations where it is costs less to live.

Jake Rosenfeld, a Sociology Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, questioned the move, telling the BBC: “Whats clear is that Google doesnt have to do this. Google has paid these workers at 100 per cent of their prior wage, by definition. So its not like they cant afford to pay their workers who choose to work remotely the same that they are used to receiving.”

Google currently has no plans to enforce the policy in the UK.