More than six million people are expected to take advantage of the flexibility to work while on vacation, allowing them to spend more time abroad than usual. However, colleagues who remain in the office could disapprove of those who combine travel and work.

A study revealed that one in five employees feel frustrated when they learn that some of their coworkers are attending virtual meetings from the beach or poolside. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of staff have voiced their concerns that workers abroad are less productive than workers still in the office.

According to research commissioned by the price comparison website MoneySuperMarket, up to six million British workers plan to work abroad this summer. The study also revealed that a quarter of office-based workers mentioned that their abroad colleagues missed deadlines due to time zone differences.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work policies significantly increased, as lock-downs and self-isolation measures compelled employers to permit individuals to work from home.

Nine out of 10 British entrepreneurs admit to Working From Holiday (WFH), indicating they cannot put down their laptops even while sunbathing. Many companies have continued to allow WFH out of concern that employees may leave if required to return to the office. Nowadays, businesses that permit remote work employ one-third of the UK workforce.

The study revealed that work-from-anywhere policies increased employee retention. One-third of the staff reported increased productivity, while one-quarter believed it hurt productivity.

The CEO of a marketing company stated that instead of just working from home, she encourages her employees to work abroad for at least one month per year.

Natasha Hatherall Shawe, who runs TishTash, which has offices in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Britain, told The Times that she values giving her employees the "freedom to work from anywhere."

She said: "If you don't trust them to be productive regardless of location, then you shouldn't have hired them in the first place. Businesses also need to adapt to evolving work habits. I've found that our Gen Z team members, in particular, value the flexibility to work abroad, prioritising work-life balance and the chance to travel."

The study revealed that almost 20% of workers feel frustrated when they join virtual meetings and see their colleagues working abroad.

Debbie Crosbie, who became CEO of Nationwide at the end of 2021, decided last year to end the building society's work-from-anywhere policy.

While remote working seems popular, many employers have hesitated to adopt it due to concerns about potential negative impacts on communication and teamwork.

A senior executive at MONY Group, the owner of MoneySuperMarket, mentioned that despite concerns, the company allows employees to work from abroad if they choose to do so.

Lisa Townsend, Chief People Officer, said, "We allow our team to work from a different location once or twice a year. We know some people use the time to experience new cultures or to visit loved ones, while others use it to balance work and home life better."

However, some companies have chosen to resist the trend towards remote working policies.

Last year, the Nationwide Building Society abandoned its work-from-anywhere arrangement and mandated that employees return to the office twice a week. The new CEO, Debbie Crosbie, stated that she wanted employees to work 40 per cent of their full-time hours in the office, a change from the policy of her predecessor that was implemented due to COVID-19.

In a staff magazine before Christmas 2023, the Nationwide Building Society said: "Requirement to work from Nationwide premises has always been a contractual obligation. The Society will monitor data on office access to understand site utilisation and identify non-compliance with the minimum requirement. However, the society has assured us that such data will only be used to inform discussions and not as an absolute measure of compliance."

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