About Block
What is Block?
Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) is the company formerly known as Square, Inc., incorporated in Delaware in June 2009. It describes itself in every job ad in one line: "Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) builds technology to increase access to the global economy. Each of our brands unlocks different aspects of the economy for more people."
Those brands, in Block's own words: "Square makes commerce and financial services accessible to sellers. Cash App is the easy way to spend, send, and store money. Afterpay is transforming the way customers manage their spending over time. TIDAL is a music platform that empowers artists to thrive as entrepreneurs. Bitkey is a simple self-custody wallet built for bitcoin. Proto is a suite of bitcoin mining products and services." Block also supports Spiral, "an independent team focused on contributing to open-source bitcoin development and ecosystem growth."
The scale is substantial: gross payment volume was $259.6 billion in FY2025, TIDAL "offers an extensive catalog of more than 250 million songs" to "listeners in more than 60 countries," and Block's subsidiary Square Financial Services operates as a Utah-chartered industrial bank.
Where will I work?
Block has no head office by design: "In 2020, we adopted a distributed work model and we no longer have a designated headquarters location." Its SEC-required principal executive office is in Oakland, California, and it leases space in New York, Oakland and St Louis among other locations — but for the vast majority of roles "employees have the flexibility to work within or outside a Block office space."
What is the Block team like?
Block reported 10,205 full-time employees as of 31 December 2025, 2,472 of them outside the US. That figure is now out of date: in February 2026 Block announced a restructuring under which "the Company reduced its workforce by more than 40%," and it has not published a headcount since. Anyone applying should read the current team size as materially smaller than the last reported number.
Internally, Block encourages movement between brands: staff can "explore opportunities across our brands like Cash App, Square, TIDAL, Afterpay, Bitkey, or Proto."
Work-Life Balance
Block is not a reduced-hours employer — there is no four-day week, compressed schedule or reduced-hours policy anywhere in its job ads, benefits pages or SEC filings. What it does offer is autonomy over where and when you work: "Work should fit your life, not the other way around."
Time off is flexible PTO, and Block addresses the usual catch head-on: "Flexible PTO often comes with unspoken expectations about how much time you can actually take. At Block, we trust you to take the time you need to recharge." Non-exempt employees instead "receive structured paid time off, plus paid holidays and sick leave."
One honest caveat worth knowing before you apply: a minority of Block's job ads state that "Block is a globally distributed company and this role will require working with other employees in multiple time zones. You may be required to perform work outside of normal business as part of this role."
Perks and Benefits
- Flexible PTO, with structured paid time off for non-exempt employees
- Distributed work — home, office or hybrid, "your work setup is yours to define"
- Up to 45 days of international work flexibility annually across 150+ countries
- Equity for every employee, plus an Employee Stock Purchase Plan offering Block stock at a 15% discount
- 401(k) matched dollar for dollar up to $2,000, then 50% up to $5,000 a year (US)
- Medical, dental and vision, including prescription drugs, telemedicine, walk-in clinics and gender affirmation treatment
- Mental health — up to 16 therapy or coaching sessions a year through Lyra, for employees and dependents, at no cost
- Fertility support via Progyny, plus surrogacy support and adoption assistance
- Leave for all parents, flexible schedules for family needs and family-planning support
- Company-paid life and AD&D cover at 2x salary, with 100% employer-paid short- and long-term disability
- Learning and development across every Block brand