Tulsa Remote becomes nation's largest remote incentive work program
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Tulsa Remote hit a milestone by surpassing 2,000 participants, making it the nation’s largest remote incentive work program.
What started off as an experiment in 2018 is now a common practice that people can get paid for, as long as they’re willing to give Tulsa a chance.
Managing Director Justin Harlan says they took a chance with the program, betting that the popularity of remote work would increase as technology did and that if people gave Tulsa a chance, they would stick around.
Tulsa Remote Program came to life in 2018 without any idea of what was to come in 2020, which disrupted everyone’s typical workday.
“There has just been massive growth with the program because there’s so many more remote workers now and we’ve also seen that 90 percent of folks that have come for that one-year commitment through Tulsa Remote have stayed beyond the year,” Justin Harlan, managing director for Tulsa Remote, said. “So really both the bets we placed in 2018 have paid off.”
Harlan says the program has two main goals: to add to an already vibrant community and to bring economic gain.
“Last year alone, we saw that 60 million dollars was added to the Tulsa GDP and that was last year, we’ve added a lot of members since then,” Harlan said.
Beyond the $10,000 cash incentive, the program offers a year of events and programs to help participants connect with the community.
“They encourage you to get involved in your community,” Don Wang, Tulsa Remote program participant from New York, said. “While Tulsa remote is kind of a guide to get you started, they encourage you to go outside of your comfort zone.”
With up to 20 events per month, Tulsa Remote is anything but isolating.
One participant even said Tulsa remote is an “extrovert’s paradise.”
“Tulsa’s a magical city if you love it, it will love you back,” Samuel Kurtz, Tulsa Remote program participant from Chicago, said. “It touches my heart in some way just how incredible, amazing, and supportive the people of Tulsa are.”
To be considered for the Tulsa Remote program, applicants must be able to move to Tulsa within the next 12 months, work full-time remotely or be self-employed outside of Oklahoma, be over 18 years old, and be eligible to work in the United States.
