If The Great Resignation taught us only one thing, it’s the importance of developing an Employer Value Proposition (EVP) that keeps up with the evolving needs of employees. And as companies continue competing to attract and retain the best talent, many savvy organisations have risen to the challenge by introducing Work From Anywhere (WFA) policies.
Despite 72% of professionals admitting they would happily accept a lower salary for a role with this kind of flexibility, offering a fully-flexible WFA programme brings a number of HR complexities including the need to create a benefits package that works for a remote workforce.
What is a Work From Anywhere policy?
Many global organisations, including Spotify, Airbnb and Dropbox, are able to attract the best candidates from around the world due to their comprehensive WFA policies. So what exactly does WFA mean?
The parametres of each organisation’s policy will differ depending on a number of factors. For more progressive companies, the policy might enable employees to work from literally anywhere across the globe.
For others, it may simply allow employees to pick their ‘home’ country and office. Other companies land somewhere in the middle, stating that employees can work remotely from any country within which it has a legal entity.
Where Work From Home (WFH) policies often require employees to physically be at home while completing work tasks, sometimes for a temporary period, WFA policies usually offer more permanent flexibility, similar to a remote working arrangement. And by its very nature, a WFA policy does not state the location that the employee must work from.
Top benefits of a Work From Anywhere policy:
✅ Becoming an employer of choice
✅ Increasing the diversity of your workforce
✅ Reducing your environmental impact
✅ Increasing employee engagement and loyalty
✅ Saving costs on office space
A WFA policy brings certain administrative, regulatory and operational challenges, spanning tax obligations (for both the employer and the employee), social security, compensation and employment law. And after laying the all-important foundations by finding solutions to each of these complexities, attention can turn towards employee benefits.
Your benefits programme is crucial in attracting, retaining and engaging your employees. And if a WFA policy is a core part of your EVP, you need to ensure you offer benefits that work for a geographically dispersed workforce.
Here are some of my top tips to ensure you have a benefits package that works harmoniously with your WFA policy to secure your spot as an employer of choice!
Embrace a global mindset
You need to think bigger than the traditional benefits in order to develop a benefits package that really does ‘work from anywhere’.
Try to embrace a global mindset and zoom out from the country-specific lens through which you see your workplace.
For example, offering gym discounts via a ‘global’ gym chain that isn’t yet established in Spain will be pretty frustrating to your team members based in Barcelona. Or partnering with a new Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider that can’t offer support outside of Europe won’t be particularly helpful to the manager who is going to be based in Sydney for the next 6 months.
Your benefits package needs to offer something for everyone, regardless of their age, location, working set-up or lifestyle.
Benefits for a workforce on the move
While some benefits like medical cover and a localised employee discount programme might not be helpful to employees working in a different country, certain perks are particularly valuable to remote team members…
- Relocation benefits – such as moving allowances, support finding accommodation or discounted packing and shipping services.
- Travel perks – including travel stipends, booking support or discounted flights and hotels.
- Flexible medical cover – partnering with a healthcare provider that can support employees in different global locations via online G.P services, etc.
- Equipment budget – offering grants or discounts for equipment such as work desks, keyboards and additional screens when employees move location.
- Wellbeing allowance – swapping the budget for free or subsidised gym members to offer a wellbeing allowance that gives employees the freedom to spend it on the areas that matter the most to them.
Benefits that make a difference, whatever the location
In addition to these WFA-specific benefits, let’s not forget the tried-and-tested classics proven to make a difference in your employees’ lives, regardless of their location or working arrangement.
Reward & Recognition
38% of UK employees say that receiving recognition and rewards at work makes them more productive, while 29% say they'd be more likely to stay with their company if they received more recognition. Providing a customised reward and recognition programme helps create a culture of continuous recognition – empowering and motivating all employees.
Robust Financial Toolkit
Employees right across the globe are still struggling to manage the rising cost of living. Equipping your team with access to financial resources such as debt support, credit and borrowing advice, saving and investment guidance and budget planners can empower them to improve their financial wellbeing.
Enhanced Learning & Development
The majority of UK employees say Learning and Development (L&D) is a vital factor in their choice of employer. Companies that provide an L&D budget for each employee can not only stand out from the crowd when recruiting new talent, but can also improve retention rates of their existing employees.
Paid Volunteer Time
Employers that offer the option for their employees to engage in voluntary work without sacrificing annual leave or pay can increase employee engagement and attract new talent… particularly socially conscious Millennials and Gen Z workers.
Wellbeing Centre
Make wellbeing accessible to all employees with a Wellbeing Centre that provides valuable virtual support across all 4 pillars of employee wellbeing – movement, nutrition, financial wellbeing and mental health.
Get in touch with one of our team today if you’d like some more inspiration, advice and support on creating a benefits package to suit your Work From Anywhere policy.
