Will ‘work from home’ become ‘work from anywhere’?
Even with Covid restrictions ending, many people are still enjoying working from home. But some have taken this a step further and have moved to a different country, while still working remotely for Australian employers. The idea of being able to skip Australia’s winters and enjoy European summers has tempted a lot of Australians. Is work from anywhere (WFA) really the future? And what challenges might this create?
Benefits for employees:
The Australian Financial Review has interviewed several Australians who have taken the leap to work from anywhere. Some have relocated to destinations such as Rome, Croatia, and some are travelling through Europe while undertaking fully remote work. Being in the office 5 days a week can feel monotonous, which can negatively affect productivity and wellbeing. WFA provides the flexibility of allowing people to combine work and relaxation, leading to a better work life balance.
Aside from travelling, WFA also allows employees to be closer to loved ones. For example,Deloitte introduced the ability to work from anywhere this year, allowing staff to work from 10 different countries for up to eight weeks. So far, 280 staff have taken advantage of the policy, and most have headed to India to spend time with loved ones.
With the cost of living skyrocketing in most major cities,WFA also allows employees to relocate to lower cost locations. Especially if someone wants to buy a house and start a family, many large cities are simply not affordable. However, it may be harder to find a job in a smaller city or town. WFA allows employees to relocate and work remotely, while facing lower living costs and lower income stress.
Benefits for businesses:
WFA also has many benefits for businesses. WFA allows Australian firms to operate 24hours a day, as employees working abroad can respond to emails and keep the firm running from different time zones. Employees may also be happier and more productive if they are given time to soak up the sun, spend time with loved ones, and are facing less cost of living pressures. WFA also allows Australian businesses to hire talent globally, overcoming immigration issues.
Fewer in-person employees also means reduced need for office space, leading to large savings on real estate costs. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (which has several thousand WFA employees) estimated that remote work saved it $38.2million in 2015.
Some firms have already taken the leap. Airbnb, Atlassian, Canva, Indebted and several major consulting firms now have “work-from-anywhere” policies.
Potential challenges:
Although WFA has great benefits, it also has some challenges. Time zone challenges will remain an issue, as it is hard to schedule calls and meetings if half the team is asleep on the other side of the world. It’s also harder to socialise and work in a team online, especially with highly collaborative tasks. This could lead to communication breakdowns and social isolation. This is especially the case for younger employees who benefit from socialising with their co-workers and getting support with their careers.
WFA may lead to companies pressuring employees to always be ‘switched on’. If employees are always expected to be available on demand when travelling or spending time with loved ones, they may not be able to fully benefit from all the work-life balance benefits WFA can offer.
WFA is growing in popularity, and in the future it might become the norm. But ‘work from anywhere’ should not mean ‘work all the time’. For WFA’s benefits to be fully realised, it is important that companies set strong boundaries with their WFA policies so employees are able to fully switch off.
Even with Covid restrictions ending, many people are still enjoying working from home. But some have taken this a step further and have moved to a different country, while still working remotely for Australian employers. The idea of being able to skip Australia’s winters and enjoy European summers has tempted a lot of Australians. Is work from anywhere (WFA) really the future? And what challenges might this create?
Benefits for employees:
The Australian Financial Review has interviewed several Australians who have taken the leap to work from anywhere. Some have relocated to destinations such as Rome, Croatia, and some are travelling through Europe while undertaking fully remote work. Being in the office 5 days a week can feel monotonous, which can negatively affect productivity and wellbeing. WFA provides the flexibility of allowing people to combine work and relaxation, leading to a better work life balance.
Aside from travelling, WFA also allows employees to be closer to loved ones. For example,Deloitte introduced the ability to work from anywhere this year, allowing staff to work from 10 different countries for up to eight weeks. So far, 280 staff have taken advantage of the policy, and most have headed to India to spend time with loved ones.
With the cost of living skyrocketing in most major cities,WFA also allows employees to relocate to lower cost locations. Especially if someone wants to buy a house and start a family, many large cities are simply not affordable. However, it may be harder to find a job in a smaller city or town. WFA allows employees to relocate and work remotely, while facing lower living costs and lower income stress.
Benefits for businesses:
WFA also has many benefits for businesses. WFA allows Australian firms to operate 24hours a day, as employees working abroad can respond to emails and keep the firm running from different time zones. Employees may also be happier and more productive if they are given time to soak up the sun, spend time with loved ones, and are facing less cost of living pressures. WFA also allows Australian businesses to hire talent globally, overcoming immigration issues.
Fewer in-person employees also means reduced need for office space, leading to large savings on real estate costs. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (which has several thousand WFA employees) estimated that remote work saved it $38.2million in 2015.
Some firms have already taken the leap. Airbnb, Atlassian, Canva, Indebted and several major consulting firms now have “work-from-anywhere” policies.
Potential challenges:
Although WFA has great benefits, it also has some challenges. Time zone challenges will remain an issue, as it is hard to schedule calls and meetings if half the team is asleep on the other side of the world. It’s also harder to socialise and work in a team online, especially with highly collaborative tasks. This could lead to communication breakdowns and social isolation. This is especially the case for younger employees who benefit from socialising with their co-workers and getting support with their careers.
WFA may lead to companies pressuring employees to always be ‘switched on’. If employees are always expected to be available on demand when travelling or spending time with loved ones, they may not be able to fully benefit from all the work-life balance benefits WFA can offer.
WFA is growing in popularity, and in the future it might become the norm. But ‘work from anywhere’ should not mean ‘work all the time’. For WFA’s benefits to be fully realised, it is important that companies set strong boundaries with their WFA policies so employees are able to fully switch off.
