We all saw them over the Christmas break – you know those Instagram posts showing a laptop propped up on the end of a lounge bed in some sunny, idyllic location with the caption reading #todaysoffice. ‘You may have already tried working form hols’ without even realising it. The term was coined by LinkedIn to describe tacking on remote working days at the start or end of your holiday to make the most out of your time away.
Now travel is back and booming (have you seen the costs of flights?!) more people are choosing to ‘work from holiday’ rather that work from home.
According to LinkedIn, it’s especially popular with Gen Z workers. One in three employees aged between 18 and 24 said they’ve bookended a holiday with remote working days, compared to just one in seven employees over 55.
LinkedIn’s recent study also shows that this year alone, 49% of Aussie workers have ‘worked from hols’ and it’s not hard to see why. The 9 to 5 isn’t quite so bad when you can visit the beach in your lunchbreak or catch up with a girlfriend for a coffee and a stroll and catch the sunset.
The study also showed (and not surprisingly) over a third (38%) of those able to work remotely have said ‘working from hols’ helped improve their mental wellbeing, while 28% said it helped make them feel more positive towards their workplace and job.
Worth also noting is the gig economy, which has boomed over the past year — and it shows no signs of slowing. Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed a record-high of 900,000 people had two or more jobs in the September quarter, which was 6.5% of all employed people.
With inflation straining household budgets, more workers will seek outside gigs to supplement main jobs that don’t pay enough or are simply unsatisfying. And thanks to entrepreneurial gen Zers, taking on a side hustle will no longer be something you need to keep secret.
Having entered the working world amid the economic upheaval of the pandemic, members of this young generation are embracing hustle culture. According to a survey by Year13 and YouthSense, 42% of Australian gen Zers have a side gig which has also opened the flood gates for the troops to make ‘work from hols’ a reality.
Sound too good to be true? Well employment experts have answered the hard questions for you, here’s everything you need to know.
How should you go about asking if you can ‘work from hols’ for a short time?
- Try to propose the move abroad as something that will benefit both you and your company equally. Think freeing up desk space or allowing you to be available to clients on different time zones
- Also establish protocols for how and when you can be contacted abroad, establish working hours, and what you can deliver and when
What if you want to work abroad for a longer period?
- If you’re planning on remote working for longer than a few weeks, there is definitely more to consider in terms of legalities’ and tax so make sure you do your homework.
If adjustments have to be made to your contracts and benefits this may involve extra costs or legal fees.
- There may be options for you to move to a self-employed contract basis or even move to a contract role.
Do you have to inform your employer if you are working remotely abroad?
- While it’s not necessary to tell your employer if you’re catching up on emails while abroad if you’re plan is to work out of Australia on a more permanent basis, you’ll need to get permission from your company.
- Thinking off and sneaking overseas for a long period, using a zoom background and not telling your employer? Also, a bad idea – you could be fired for gross misconduct.
Balance is the theme here, back make sure you forward plan, it’s important you set up meetings advance and communicate clearly when your available and when you’re not, which will benefit both you and your employer. And remember if you make this work you might be opening the door for colleagues to do the same so take this as a privilege not a right and show your company just how beneficial it can be for everyone involved.
