Working remotely for your UK employer while overseas; The highs and lows...

Tappable's Product Designer, Amar ?ahtarevi?, gives a Personal Account of his Experiences working Overseas.

Naturally, with highs come lows to working remotely for your UK employer while overseas; in this article, I talk about my experiences. Some may be more obvious than others!

The Highs

Improves work-life balance

Personally for me, remote working gives me a much better work-life balance. I have the freedom and flexibility to work in the comfort of my own home, allowing me to build my work schedule around my personal life.

It enables me to take care of essential tasks that benefit my home and lifestyle without affecting my productivity at work.

Time & Money

Working at home decreases movement from one place to another, reducing stress. It saves me the cost of transportation and other travelling expenses and cuts down the amount I'd spend on work clothes and takeout.

Culture

When working with people from a different country, naturally, you pick up on culture. The diverse cultural perspectives often inspire creativity and drive innovation for me.

Working across cultures can be a truly enriching experience, allowing others to learn about perspectives and traditions from around the world.

Improved English skills

I'm not a native English speaker; even though I was always good at English grammar and writing, I didn't have much experience speaking English.

Daily stand-ups and multiple daily calls have helped improve my English speaking skills.

Experience & growth

Working for an agency overseas has allowed me to grow professionally; I have gained a richer-looking portfolio of work and a better-looking CV.

The Lows

Loneliness

The reality of remote working is that; you're flying solo most of the time. This can create feelings of isolation and loneliness and sometimes lower productivity, so it's important to build time for social interaction, even if it isn't in person. We have daily stand-ups and a weekly round-up via Microsoft Teams every Friday.

Different time-zones

The time difference isn't an issue for me, as I live in Bosnia, which is only a 1-hour difference from the UK; though different time zones can be a problem for people with a six or 7-hour time difference, it could mean working late nights.

Less workplace connection and isolation

Remote working can lead to reduced communication and not having immediate access to information. It can also get a little boring sometimes, as you are alone most of the time. 

Lack of company benefits

Company perks such as free healthcare or pension schemes won't apply to overseas employees, as there are different systems for different countries etc., so you'll often miss out on those benefits.

Conclusion

In terms of productivity and work-life balance, remote working benefits me more, but it all comes down to priorities, as with these perks comes loneliness, and the social aspect of work is missing.

It's important to address the remote working overseas highs and lows. Addressing any challenges head-on ensures people can work remote successfully.

Do you have any tips for working from home effectively?

Share your tips with us!