Sun, sea and spreadsheets: 61% of workers more likely to take a job that offers work from anywhere policies

• The UK, Spain, USA, and Italy are among the most popular work from anywhere destinations
• 87% have taken advantage of this workplace benefit to work away in the UK, or abroad
• Changing working environments (44%), seeing a new country (40%), and spending time with family (39%) top the list for working from anywhere priorities
• However, many travellers are unprotected as 1 in 7 (14%) admit to leaving out travel insurance
• Travel insurance experts at Confused.com highlight why business and gadget cover is essential when working away

Working from anywhere is quickly becoming a common benefit for workers, and over 6 in 10 (61%) UK workers are more likely to take a job that offers work from anywhere policies. That’s according to new research from travel experts at Confused.com.

An increasing number of work places across the UK have introduced more flexible working policies over the last few years. This has given rise to working from anywhere policies, which allows people to work from different locations instead of the usual location of their job.

For almost 2 in 5 (38%) UK workers, working from anywhere is a benefit included in their employment contract. And 87% have taken advantage of this benefit to work away in the UK, or abroad. As a result, nearly half (47%) of UK workers have admitted that working from anywhere gives them a better work-life balance. It allows people to experience different parts of the world while maintaining their job and main source of income.

The opportunity to work from anywhere gives people the chance to visit new places and countries without having to sacrifice their annual leave. That’s why over a third (34%) have used their work from anywhere policy to work abroad, and over half (52%) have used their policy to work from another location in the UK.

A change of scenery, even within the UK is popular, with 29% saying they would take advantage of being able to work from another UK location. And for those looking to go further afield, Spain (28%), USA (25%), and Italy (25%) are the most popular alternative working locations.

For some, the perk is something they can take advantage of more than once. That’s as nearly a quarter (24%) of those with this policy are able to work from anywhere for 2 - 3 weeks per year, allowing them to maximise opportunities to go to different places.

There are plenty of benefits to working from anywhere. For 44% of workers, the change in environment is the most appealing factor, while seeing a new country (40%) and spending time with family on a holiday (39%) are also top priorities for those choosing to work somewhere else.

Working from anywhere allows workers to extend their holidays or feel like they are on holiday from being somewhere new. With people opting to work, it may not come with the same considerations as a typical holiday to many. As such, 1 in 7 (14%) of UK workers admit to not taking out travel insurance when working from anywhere.

Yet for some, travel insurance was something they didn’t leave at home. The research found that personal travel insurance was the most popular type to take out as over half (58%) opted for this cover. Followed by business travel insurance (46%) and gadget insurance (33%).

For 67% of Brits, their employer paid for their business travel insurance while 42% paid for it themselves.

Following the increasing popularity of working from anywhere, nearly two-fifths (38%) of workers in the UK say their company offers a work from anywhere policy. This enables their employees to see the world and save their leave all while doing their day to day job.

As a result, over half (55%) of Brits would be likely to use their work from anywhere policy if they had one. Yet over a quarter (28%) still wouldn’t take the opportunity to work from somewhere different.

Despite its appeal, there are still things that deter Brits from working from alternative locations. Over a third (36%) want to switch off from work while they are on holiday and to maximise the full holiday experience. For 3 in 10 (30%), their concerns about the WiFi not being reliable enough deters them from switching working locations. While just over a quarter (26%) feel they aren’t getting a chance to experience the holiday in full with the restrictions of working hours.

And things can still go wrong when working from anywhere. The main issues people encountered include the time difference affecting them and their working hours (29%), feeling too distracted to do the job properly (28%), and not being able to connect to a secure WiFi (23%).

Understandably, a different location can be more appealing than a day to day routine. For over 1 in 5 (22%) workers, they worked less somewhere new than they would at home or in the office. A further 22% also admitted to getting easily distracted in a new place, finding it harder to focus on their work.

So for 15% of Brits, they haven’t used their work from anywhere policy and don’t plan to - keeping their work-life balance separate.

Working alternative hours can help working people maximise their time in a different place or country, without compromising their core working hours. Brits would still have a lot of the afternoon and all evening to enjoy where they are staying after a day of work.

Despite enjoying their working holiday, it’s important for people working from anywhere to remember the importance of having the correct insurance. As people will be doing their day-to-day job when working from anywhere, business cover rather than holiday cover is key. Covering business equipment and professional liability, UK workers who opt to work abroad for a few days will be protected against any issues.

Tom Vaughan, travel expert at Confused.com comments:

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Notes to editors