If COVID-19 has taught us one thing is that you can do any work from the comfort of your home. While the flexibility is great, it can be difficult for expats who have been pushed to work from home overnight. Indeed, as an expat, work often provides much needed socialisation and plays an important role in one’s integration. So, how to work from home and still make the most of your expat experience.
How to get in touch with the local culture
Moving to a new country is an experience best lived through meeting new people and learning about the local culture. While many expats choose to get a traditional job when moving abroad, virtual working might bring some unexpected advantages. The flexible nature of the remote jobs can actually be an opportunity to explore and enjoy the new environment through a wide variety of extra activities, for instance language tandem schools, unofficial work gatherings, local museum/sightseeing tours, sport clubs, cooking classes etc. If you are a person with many interests, working remotely may be a good fit for you as it will allow you to be active and explore your surroundings.
Career promotion
Another factor that expats give importance to, is get help and information in order to adapt quickly to the new workplace. This can sometimes be more difficult for remote workers. The lack of personal contact may leave an impression of being left out, or might even interfere with work productivity. Subsequently, having contact with the superiors at work is shown as more beneficial for climbing up the career ladder. According to Wen Fan, an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Boston College, there is still a negative preconception that managers have in case the employees are not present in the office.
Know the legal procedures
Many important details such as tax, immigration issues, employment law, medical insurance can be overlooked. The rules differ in various countries, and many do not have yet specific laws regarding remote workers and expats. The employee needs to make sure whether they need visa to live in the country they would like to work. Currently 21 countries worldwide are offering the possibility to apply for a freelance visa and their requirements may change so it is very important to have a recent information. Local tax laws are also important to understand as freelancers will have to go through the procedure by themselves. Additionally, remote workers who still have residence in their home country, should be informed about the local tax responsibilities there too.
Work-Life Balance
According to a study done in the UK, the success of home office depends greatly on the personal working style. People who have trouble managing their household chores or family care have been positively affected by it. An additional factor is the possibility to avoid wasting time in commute and rather concentrating on more meaningful tasks, like sport and healthier nutrition. Furthermore, remote workers enjoyed the advantage of being able to change locations and even travel without having to take vacation days. Some participants, on the other hand report that their work-life balance was disrupted as they lacked the necessary gear for working, felt like their personal space was invaded by the job, or that their free time was filled with thoughts about the working responsibilities.
The pros and the cons
Before making a decision whether to work remotely or not it is best to start by evaluating the pros and cons. The general advantages are:
- Time flexibility
- Lower daily expenses
- Comfort for being at home
- No need of formal clothing
- More time to spend with family and pets, less need of a house care like a babysitter
- Lower daily stress
- Home cooked, healthy meals
Some of the disadvantages are:
- Lack of social interaction with colleagues
- Interruptions by family members
- Getting help at the workplace might be more difficult
- Feeling underappreciated at times
- Less opportunities to practice a local language
Working from home is a matter of choice, so in case you are wondering if remote work is for you, you can make a list of your priorities and the kind of environment that will make you feel fulfilled and productive.
Common jobs for remote expats
Most of the jobs that can be done online are the ones that do not require special gear or instrument, instead oftentimes rely on the devices that the workers have. Some of the most common remote jobs are:
- Writers and Journalists
- Marketing and sales
- IT professionals
- Coders and Software developers
- Language teaching
- Translation
- Customer service
There are many options for remote working and with some good preparation any opportunity will be fruitful. Being a digital nomad can be very pleasant and stress free, which is why it is on the rise today more than ever in the past. With the number of opportunities constantly rising, it might just become the future way of working.
