Work from anywhere - where are you going?

[kiethton]

Seeing Nationwide announce work from anywhere this morning (and signs other companies may follow suit) in the event you're given the ability to move anywhere, where are you going? why are you going there?

Me - I think I'd be looking at South Africa, specifically Cape Town

Where?

Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa


Why?

Great climate

Low cost of living - I could get this for the same value as my 600sqft flat....https://www.property24.com/for-sale/camps-bay/cape-town/western-cape/11014/108540292

Time zone is close enough to be beneficial (my current 7am start becomes 9am)

Great culture and pace of life

Good quality private education which is a lot cheaper versus UK peers and (semi)respected globally

Food/drink, specially if you head toward the wine farms is great

Lower tax rates would save me a chunk of income annually

[Spare tyre]

It’s a slippery slope, surely some foreign fellow can do you job for 1/3 of the cost?



Also, how would health care etc work, surely if everyone buggers off even more money ends up abroad

[monkfish1]

Devon

[anonymous-user]

You may then become a non UK employee and subject to different T&C, have to opt in / out of your UK NI contributions, no healthcare, have to pay local and UK taxes (dependent upon dual taxation agreements) etc etc.

I would spend 3-6 months per year away so as not to fall foul of any tax / residency issues and ensure I remained a ‘UK’ contracted employee.

Penang
KL
Langkawi

Cape Town

Portugal

Italy

Switch each year as soon as I am 100% remote!

[kiethton]

Spare tyre said:

It’s a slippery slope, surely some foreign fellow can do you job for 1/3 of the cost?



Also, how would health care etc work, surely if everyone buggers off even more money ends up abroad

100%, it wouldn't - this is the unseen impact of this - we saw it across the USA as tech employees moved to low(er) cost locations their salary was reduced.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Spare tyre said:

It’s a slippery slope, surely some foreign fellow can do you job for 1/3 of the cost?

Spot on. Why should they pay you UK wages to work from anywhere, when Rangit who is already living in anywhere has better qualifications and will work for 25% of your salary, and still be the richest bloke in the village.

If 10% of the current workforce who opt to work from anywhere are still employed by Nationwide in 5 years time, I'll eat my hat

[alorotom]

Ive got a couple of colleagues who exercise this already, one works from a beautiful villa in Spain, the other has a place in Thailand.

I would consider it - somewhere warm, Thailand appeals and now that the internet situation is resolved in many provinces its more than do-able but the time difference would be the killer for me.

Edited by alorotom on Thursday 25th March 13:15

[aparna]

I dabbled with this for a while. It’s a bit of a faff to stay anywhere more than 3 months.

In the end it wasn’t visas that made be fall back in love
with home comforts, it was mosquitos! Warm weather brings bugs and I just can’t handle that at all!

[Alucidnation]

Exactly where i have been working from, for many years.

[Fishlegs]

The novelty of working from home isn't likely to wear off for a long time yet, so... home.

[btdk5]

I find it a bit strange that your workplace would be the only thing keeping you in the uk. Everyone I know is here. Pre lockdown I’d socialise in the week and at weekends.

Doubt working remotely would be enough for many people to up sticks

[SturdyHSV]

Given total freedom, I'd do 2 or 3 days a week at home, 2 or 3 days a week at the factory, because it's still cool seeing race car parts / the scale of the place, the social aspect, and the food is brilliant.

It would be nice to be able to just vary it on a whim though, so some weeks might want to come in more often, others might prefer an extra day from home etc.

[PorkInsider]

Nearly all of my colleagues have left the UK now - bit of an exodus over the past few years, not COVID related.

Although I can, and always could, work from anywhere, I still love living in the North of the UK (well someone has to!) so no plans on upping sticks.

I don't know where I'd want to go, to be honest, as I'm not a fan of hot weather so that limits options somewhat.

[Jasandjules]

Possibly Portugal. Canada would be nice. Somewhere like Montana also is attractive... But the main problems would be friends/family and tax.......

[pb8g09]

Cornwall or Devon.

I would go tomorrow if I only had to check into the office once a month.

The thought of a quiet stroll to the village pub at lunch time on a Friday when all this is over, having some space on the drive for a couple of cars, no constant traffic or people on top of me and some quiet beaches to watch the sunset after work each evening with the missus is enough for me.

Wouldn't need to emigrate, got 28 days a year to go on holiday, save the stress of the unknown.

[Countdown]

I wonder how the cost of living in Florida compares to Lancashire....that's where I would go.

Massive houses, great weather, they speak English....

[klan8456]

kiethton said:

Seeing Nationwide announce work from anywhere this morning (and signs other companies may follow suit) in the event you're given the ability to move anywhere, where are you going? why are you going there?

Me - I think I'd be looking at South Africa, specifically Cape Town

Where?

Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa


Why?

Great climate

Low cost of living - I could get this for the same value as my 600sqft flat....https://www.property24.com/for-sale/camps-bay/cape-town/western-cape/11014/108540292

Time zone is close enough to be beneficial (my current 7am start becomes 9am)

Great culture and pace of life

Good quality private education which is a lot cheaper versus UK peers and (semi)respected globally

Food/drink, specially if you head toward the wine farms is great

Lower tax rates would save me a chunk of income annually

I doubt they mean work from overseas. The compliance costs, legal and regulatory risk, payroll, benefits, tax and other implications would make that unviable.

If, by some miracle, you were allowed, they’d adjust your salary down to match the local market.

[klan8456]

btdk5 said:

I find it a bit strange that your workplace would be the only thing keeping you in the uk. Everyone I know is here. Pre lockdown I’d socialise in the week and at weekends.

Doubt working remotely would be enough for many people to up sticks

It would be for me. I have absolutely no ties to this country except work.

[Countdown]

klan8456 said:

I doubt they mean work from overseas. The compliance costs, legal and regulatory risk, payroll, benefits, tax and other implications would make that unviable.

If, by some miracle, you were allowed, they’d adjust your salary down to match the local market.

One of my colleagues has been in Portugal for the last 12 months, staying at and working from her holiday apartment. Coincidentally one of my team is from Portugal but living in Manchester.

It's not going to be that difficult.

[Jonathan27]

klan8456 said:

kiethton said:

Seeing Nationwide announce work from anywhere this morning (and signs other companies may follow suit) in the event you're given the ability to move anywhere, where are you going? why are you going there?

Me - I think I'd be looking at South Africa, specifically Cape Town

Where?

Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa


Why?

Great climate

Low cost of living - I could get this for the same value as my 600sqft flat....https://www.property24.com/for-sale/camps-bay/cape-town/western-cape/11014/108540292

Time zone is close enough to be beneficial (my current 7am start becomes 9am)

Great culture and pace of life

Good quality private education which is a lot cheaper versus UK peers and (semi)respected globally

Food/drink, specially if you head toward the wine farms is great

Lower tax rates would save me a chunk of income annually

I doubt they mean work from overseas. The compliance costs, legal and regulatory risk, payroll, benefits, tax and other implications would make that unviable.

If, by some miracle, you were allowed, they’d adjust your salary down to match the local market.

Yes, I'm sure that the Nationwide announcement should have been 'Work from anywhere (so long as it is within the jurisdiction of HMRC)'. Also, remember that if you were allowed to work in another country, you will need to pay your taxes there, your company will need a legal entity there and they would likely still want you to work UK hours.

But yes, if it was truly anywhere, setting aside tax, healthcare, time zones and legal entity structure then it would be Sri Lanka for me.