Remote working, which was not so popular a few years ago, has been quite widespread since the Covid pandemic and successive lockdowns. Many countries even had to make it mandatory due to health restrictions. In 2021, with massive vaccination and the easing of barrier gestures, most companies reopened. Still, remote work has become the new norm for many employees. Some are even willing to work remotely from abroad, adding pressure to companies' operations and costs.
Which sectors are more open to remote working from abroad?
In 2021, Anywr, a recruitment and professional mobility agency for talents, surveyed more than 500 companies. 86% of these companies confirm they had received requests from their employees to work remotely from abroad, and it's interesting to note that most of them (74%) accepted these requests. There is a strong need among employees to combine living abroad with working, to build a new life. Work becomes part of a life pattern employees want to build with their values.
Stéphanie Duclos, HR Director at Cooptalis, is optimistic about these changes: "Being in favor of remote working from abroad and putting it into practice allows companies to maintain their attractivity, especially for rare profiles. Companies are empowered to develop their teams and grow further. Jasmine Manet, the founder of Vocation média, shares the same views. According to her, remote working from abroad is setting a new trend.
In 2022, the World Trend Index (a survey conducted by Microsoft) had similar conclusions. Although a challenge in itself, remote working from abroad is an additional burden for companies. For those that already have branches in different countries, it is a win-win situation. Employees themselves were willing to move abroad. The same was true for startups and structures that aim at expanding abroad and/or seeking to develop their market internationally. Today, mostly companies in the service sector consider remote working on a global scale. For example, Ilek, an eco-friendly startup, and Publicis, a communication group, offered stays of a few weeks to two months in several countries (100 for Publicis). These groups found it crucial to meet their employees' new expectations for smooth running. The economic stakes were high, with the opportunity to open up or strengthen their position globally.
What are the limitations of working remotely from abroad?
Whether or not you can work remotely abroad depends on the labor laws of the country where you are working. In France, for example, remote working is recognized by law, but the conditions are not the same internationally. Therefore, it's quite unsure whether employees can legally work remotely from abroad and under what conditions. For companies, the issue is much more complex. It is impossible to meet employees' requests without evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of this type of work arrangement. Companies must first define a framework and discuss whether employees are allowed to work remotely 100% abroad or only occasionally. It's also important to know in which countries this is feasible.
Companies should think, first of all, about their target markets. They are more likely to allow their employees to work remotely in countries where they can do business. While the financial projections may sound good, all this comes with a cost. When it comes to taxes, companies must be able to find their way around it. More than a simple request from employees to work remotely, companies have to define a whole remote work from abroad strategy.
This is why so many companies are against remote working from abroad, especially since most offices have reopened. Some companies prefer to redesign the workspace to provide a better environment for employees. While they do understand their employees' need for flexibility and freedom, many of them are unwilling to face the extra burden of their employees working remotely from abroad. In small local companies, for example, the demand for remote work from abroad is quite low. The same goes for medium-sized companies and those working with only select foreign markets. Allowing remote work from abroad would involve more costs than benefits for these companies. Add to that the experiences of some companies with employees remote working from abroad without informing their employer.
What's in for remote work from abroad?
The size and weight of the company, the sector in which it operates, the company's vision for the future, etc., are just some of the factors to be considered before making such a move, although companies seem to have understood their employees' new expectations. Remote working has become the norm and is well on its way to becoming a new form of work organization that service companies could use to attract global talent.
