Inside Atlassian’s ‘Team Anywhere’: A Work From Anywhere Playbook

Atlassian’s Work From Anywhere Policy: Summary

Few companies have embedded Work From Anywhere as deeply into their operating model as Atlassian. Rather than treating flexibility as a perk, the company has made it the default through its “Team Anywhere” approach.

On the domestic side, Atlassian offers near-complete flexibility. There are no mandated office days, and employees can choose to work fully remotely or use office spaces as optional hubs. Work is designed to happen in a distributed way, with teams relying on asynchronous tools and structured collaboration rhythms rather than physical presence. In practice, this places Atlassian at the most flexible end of the domestic remote work spectrum.

Internationally, the company has paired that flexibility with a clearly defined framework. Employees can work from another country for up to 90 days per year, provided it is within a location where Atlassian has a legal entity and they have the right to work. Longer-term moves are also supported, but only within countries where the company can employ staff compliantly. This creates a model that feels open from an employee perspective, while still being grounded in legal and operational realities.

What sets Atlassian apart is how intentional the structure is behind the flexibility. Rather than leaving policies vague, the company has built a system of guardrails around mobility, compensation, time zones, and collaboration. The result is a Work From Anywhere model that is both highly flexible and highly scalable, which is why it is often referenced as one of the most mature examples in the market.

The way we work has fundamentally changed. And while some companies are dragging their feet back to cubicles, others are leaning all the way into a more flexible future.

Enter Atlassian, the software giant behind Jira, Confluence, and Trello.

Instead of forcing a return to office, Atlassian reimagined work altogether. Their approach? Team Anywhere – a bold, data-backed, human-first remote work policy that’s now their default operating model.

If you’re in HR, global mobility, compliance, tax, payroll, rewards, or employee experience, this isn’t just another remote work story. It’s a field-tested playbook for how to make flexibility work at scale.

And what’s even better is they have open-sourced all the learnings which you can read here in their blog titled “Lessons Learned: 1,000 days of distributed at Atlassian”.

From “Temporary Remote” to Team Anywhere

It all started in early 2020, Atlassian, like most companies, shut its offices. But while many saw it as a temporary fix, Atlassian saw a long-term opportunity.

By mid-2020, they launched Team Anywhere, a policy allowing employees to work from (almost) anywhere in countries where Atlassian has a legal presence. Offices became optional hubs. Presence became flexible. And leadership made it clear: these shifts and innovations aren’t just passing trends.

Here’s Atlassian’s key wins so far based on Atlassian Distributed Work Report, 2024:

• 92% of employees say the policy helps them do their best work
• 91% say it’s a reason they stay
• Atlassian now collaborates from over 10,000 unique locations
• Team gatherings improve connection by 27%, with effects lasting 4 to 5 months

What Atlassian’s Work From Anywhere Policy Looks Like

Team Anywhere is structured flexibility. Here’s how it works:

Atlassian Work From Anywhere Policy

Employees can live and work anywhere Atlassian has an entity, and where they’re legally allowed to work. That includes the US, Australia, the UK, India, Japan, Germany, and more.

If someone wants to relocate – say, from Sydney to Brisbane or from Texas to Colorado – no problem. If they want to move abroad, it just needs to be to a supported country. Employees can work from another country (outside of their employment location) for up to 90 days per year – perfect for traveling or visiting family without triggering tax or legal issues.

No Required Office Days

There’s no mandated number of days in office. Many employees are fully remote. Others choose to visit offices on occasion for collaboration.

As President Anu Bharadwaj puts it:  “Whether they choose to come in once a day, once a week, twice a week or whatever, or they choose to work completely remotely, it should be irrelevant to how productive our team is.”

Quarterly In-Person Meetups

Instead of office mandates, Atlassian prioritizes meaningful team gatherings every few months. These are for planning, bonding, and deep collaboration. After these meetups, employee-reported team connection jumps by 27%.

What It Took Behind the Scenes

Team Anywhere wasn’t just a switch. It required massive coordination across HR, global mobility, finance, and leadership.

Here’s how Atlassian did it – and what you can learn from it.

1. HR and Talent: Unlocking Global Access

Once location was removed as a hiring constraint, Atlassian’s recruiting pool exploded.

• The number of candidates per role is now over twice as high since Team Anywhere launched.
• Offer acceptance rates have increased by 20%.

HR redesigned onboarding for a virtual-first world. New hires get equipment shipped to them, are assigned onboarding buddies, and are guided through a digital-first workflow built around Confluence, Jira, and Slack.

And yes – managers were retrained to lead by outcomes, not by presence.

2. Global Mobility and Compliance: Managing Complexity with Clarity

Letting people work from anywhere gets tricky fast if you’re not ready for tax and legal implications.

Atlassian created internal frameworks and eligibility guidelines to protect the business and support employees.

• The 90-day rule prevents triggering permanent establishment or personal tax residency
• Relocations are supported within countries where Atlassian already has a legal entity
• Payroll is localized in supported countries to remain compliant
• Time zone compatibility is reviewed before approving moves

They also registered for employment in multiple US states and Australian regions as employees dispersed.

“You don’t need to manage where people are working from, it is a business process that takes a lot of energy and resources, and it doesn’t create value”.
  – Annie Dean, VP, Team Anywhere

3. Compensation and Payroll: Rethinking Fairness

Atlassian uses a geo-based pay structure, where compensation aligns with the cost of labor in a given region.

• In Australia: Two tiers (NSW/VIC vs other states)
• In the US: Three zones based on cost-of-living
• Remote employees still receive full benefits, including health care and equity

This approach sparked some debate, but Atlassian has been fully transparent. Employees can view ranges and make informed choices.

They also offer:

• Monthly reimbursements for internet and mobile
• Home office setup stipends
• Travel reimbursements for quarterly team gatherings

4. Culture and Employee Experience: Remote, Not Disconnected

Atlassian invested in rituals and tools to maintain culture – not just perks.

• Team meetups drive connection, with 80% of employees participating quarterly
• Slack channels and virtual events help employees socialize
• Confluence acts as a shared knowledge base
• Leaders post regular Loom video updates to maintain transparency and visibility

Example: New grads who never visited an office were onboarded, trained, and socially connected – all remotely.

They also track connection and engagement levels with a behavioral science group called the Team Anywhere Lab, which runs productivity and wellness experiments.

5. Leadership Buy-In and Data: Make It a Priority

Atlassian’s success comes from serious executive commitment. The co-founders themselves work remotely most of the time. President Anu Bharadwaj regularly sends video updates from her home. And the Team Anywhere initiative has dedicated full-time leadership.

Data is at the center of it all:

• 36% improvement in workload sustainability from focus-time experiments
• 17% reduction in unnecessary meetings
• Productivity has remained stable – and in some areas, improved

Atlassian has operated as a fully distributed company for nearly five years, developing a strong framework for remote collaboration. Asynchronous tools like Confluence and Loom play a central role, helping teams share updates, give feedback, and reduce unnecessary meetings, reportedly saving nearly half a million so far. Teams are structured across no more than two time zones to maintain at least four hours of overlap, supporting effective collaboration. The company also prioritises regular in-person connection through curated gatherings, while adapting support for different groups, such as offering more face time to new hires and graduates.

Working across borders is where the compliance risk lives — permanent establishment, tax residency, right-to-work, and social security all come into play. See the full breakdown in our guide to approving international remote work compliantly.

What You Can Learn From Atlassian

Not every company needs a full-blown Team Anywhere. But the principles apply across industries and sizes:

The Future Is Distributed – Are You Ready?

Atlassian has proven that distributed work, done right, can increase productivity, strengthen culture, and expand access to top talent. Their secret wasn’t just bold policy. It was leadership alignment, smart guardrails, and an unshakable focus on the employee experience.

Whether you’re designing a new policy or refining what you have, take this as inspiration: You don’t need to mandate people back to the office to do great work. You just need to build the infrastructure to support them – wherever they are.

Need a place to start?
Start with a survey. Define your own 90-day rule. Align on compensation. And keep listening.
Because the companies that treat distributed work as a competitive advantage-not a compromise-are the ones already winning.

Want to see how others are doing it? Explore more real-world WFA strategies and insights.

Other Remote Work Policies

Donal Brady

Donal Brady is Co-Founder and Head of Product at Work From Anywhere, a platform to help companies execute a successful workation policy. He has deep expertise and experience in the world of remote work having spent nearly twenty years working in finance leadership roles with global multinationals like PwC, before entering the world of global mobility with International SOS and then pivoting into the software industry with Accel-KKR backed Smart Communications. He walks the walk with Work From Anywhere, speaking 5 languages, having travelled to 65+ countries and worked in 10.