WFA Becoming ‘Fourth Contender’ In Remote Work Tug-of-War

An emerging trend of work-from-anywhere (WFA) being offered as a job perk alongside benefits like unpaid time off could be the option more businesses are falling back on amidst tension over return-to-office mandates.

In an unpredictable labour market resulting from the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, WFA could become a fourth contender in the remote work tug-of-war. Employers and employees alike may now have to consider either in-person work, fully remote work, a hybrid go-between option or allotted weeks of work from anywhere. This new trend emerges as LinkedIn recently noted a decline in remote jobs being offered in the United Kingdom.

“It could be the case that businesses unwilling to offer completely remote jobs are instead opting for partial work-from-anywhere as a form of benefit,” suggested Joseph Boll, CEO of RemoteWorker, an online jobs board that specialises in helping hiring managers and businesses connect with job-seeking professionals for remote work positions.

Boll noted that the incredible popularity of remote work has transformed recruitment across the UK. With most British workers maintaining a strong preference for remote work, and many threatening to quit their jobs if forced back into the office, businesses have had to make adjustments to either retain or attract staff. Recruitment, as such, has been highly competitive, with even businesses that are unable to offer remote work opting to offer flexible hours in an attempt to keep up with the competition.

“Short of going fully remote — although we believe that is the better option for both employers and employees — maybe this new option is some businesses’ way of extending an olive branch to workers who stand firm on demanding remote work,” Boll commented.

With WFA, some companies are beginning to allow their staff to work from anywhere — be it their home, an office or another country — for a specific amount of time. Further, it is being offered alongside job perks like paid time off. However, Boll pointed out that companies offering WFA is one matter — whether the labour market will accept it over fully remote is another matter that remains to be seen.