Work from anywhere is getting a spike

• Tips on how to start workation
• Visa programs for mobile workers?
• Spotify and its “Work from Anywhere” policy
• Benefits of remote work for military spouses?
• Workers crave flexibility - recent Hubspot survey results

Preface: We are definitely NOT huge fans of clichés, here at Jobgether we rather consider ourselves to be some sort of mythbusters when it comes to flexible work mode and established canons associated with the concept of remote work. However, it has just historically been the case that most employees tend to go on vacation in summer. Light ocean breeze, sweet fragrances of local delicacies… Let’s simply admit, it sounds heavenly enjoyable! Don't know how to relax without breaking away from work? We’ve got a solution!

?? Cut away from the office and squeeze some workation instead?

Workation may be the best option for those who want to catch a breath but also to keep everything under control. Coming from the IT industry, and practiced primarily by freelancers in the early 2010s, such organization of the work process as “workation” means moving to other cities or countries and combining work with rest (also known as “woliday”, which refers to "working holidays”). Of course, COVID-19 did not bypass this issue and contributed to the popularization of workation, causing professionals with completely different backgrounds to choose this working mode. In our post , we’ve gathered some useful tips for those who want to try.?

?? Digital nomad visas, the new passport for remoters

Yet being foreseen, if you enjoy practicing workation and want to prolong such an experience, we've gathered some essential info for you in our recent blog post . In order to be unhindered while working from abroad, you need to keep up with the legal framework and obtain a digital nomad visa. As of now, more than 40 countries have launched (or are about to launch) visa programs specifically for mobile workers. According to trend-tracking site Exploding Topics, searches for the term "nomad visa" have increased by 2,400 percent in the past five years. Today, when searching for jobs , you can more and more frequently see “worldwide” in a “work from” section, meaning that the company leaders are keeping up with the times and choosing flexibility for their employees. A recent survey, conducted by Qualtrics, shows that 80% of respondents looking for a new job said that it should offer them the opportunity to live in the location of their choice. Let's not miss the fact that it's mutually beneficial for both employees and the hosting countries, as digital nomads are literally a find from the economic growth perspective. More digital nomads on the territory means also more foreign capital invested locally. According to Prithwiraj(Raj) Choudhury, an associate professor specializing in employee geographic mobility, digital nomads and remoters in general "can be a boon to any economy — spending money, facilitating collaboration and spurring innovation".?

???? The remote front: benefits of remote work for military spouses?

The undeniable impact of remote work mode on the economy of countries is demonstrative evidence that flexibility is not limited only to the “whim” of employees to feel comfortable and freely manage their time. Remote work has also become a resolution of pressing social issues, such as unemployment among military spouses.?

In our recent post , dedicated to military spouses, we have described the problem and backed up the facts with data. Frequent relocations, which are the norm for military spouses, naturally lead to the fact that employers do not seek to hire such specialists (in particular, for the high positions they deserve given their solid experience and strong expertise). “Now that the labor market has started to recover, many employers have instituted hybrid work models that allow for greater employee flexibility and access to work opportunities that match their skills and expertise without the limitation of reporting to a physical location” (NMSN White Paper, 2022). In this way, by choosing a remote work mode, military spouses solve not only the problem of professional self-realization, which is also acute. However, they also have the opportunity to leave the socially vulnerable population category.?

As true ambassadors of flexibility in the workplace, we will not get tired of repeating - remote work still remains underappreciated. As practice shows, it can be a solution to a number of socio-economic issues.?

?? Remote News Digest?

• One more big player has joined the club of flexible work advocates. Spotify has successfully implemented the “Work From Anywhere” model by letting its employees decide where they want to work and how often they work from the office. The result has shown that while many companies saw increased turnover during the Great Resignation, Spotify's employee turnover actually went down as a result of changes. About 2% of the company’s total workforce chose to move to a different country. According to Katrina Berg, Spotify’s chief human resources officer, "Companies that set strict guidelines tend to experience employee pushback or, worse, increased turnover as dissatisfied workers depart for employers that offer more flexibility". Are you still thinking about whether the ability of employees to work remotely will negatively affect your business? Get inspired by the success stories of industry leaders!
• Workers crave flexibility. The recent? survey conducted by HubSpot , has shown:?

? After asking over 200 remote/hybrid workers if they’d consider leaving their job if forced to go back to the office settings full-time,?over a half (54%)?of respondents said they would quit the job.?

? According to the survey, 40% of respondents still work in the office full-time or nearly full-time; 32% said that they work remotely (full-time or nearly full-time), and 28% identified their mode of operation as a hybrid.?

? As for the top reasons why remote/hybrid workers are planning to stay in their current positions, 34% define “competitive pay” as the main factor, 32% choose “flexibility in working remotely”, 28% - “flexible work schedule”, 25% - “healthy work/life balance”, 19% attach high importance to “supportive management”.?

Stay tuned!