Since the invention of the internet, and more lately since the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, working from home (WFH) and indeed working remotely has become commonplace for certain white-collar professions.
Before Covid, WFH used to be something of a novelty and a bit of a treat for employees, perhaps they were given special dispensation to stay away from the office due to caring for a poor family member or maybe they had to work on a confidential project away from the eyes of colleagues.
But new hires amongst the Gen Z and even millennial demographics now expect to be able to WFH for at least half of the working week as a matter of course.
Employee vs Freelancer
If you’re an employee your boss dictates when and where you work, in general. However, freelancers in certain professions often become digital nomads, working from wherever in the world suits them. Graphic designers, accountants, copywriters, social media marketers and others who can work from anywhere do so – simply because they can.
Indeed, the only restriction to where a digital nomad works is often down to time zone availability – if you had Australian clients, it probably wouldn’t be a great idea to work from the UK or Europe unless you only like to be awake in the dead of night, for example.
As a result, digital nomads usually settle in temperate climates according to seasons, and/or favor cheaper places to live than where their clients are based. Imagine an accountant charging, say $75 per hour to a client in Vicksburg, Mississippi – they get a lot more spending power if they’re using that money on living expenses in Vietnam rather than back in the US.
Some freelancers move to the more temperate parts of Southern Europe for the winter months, then migrate northwards in the summer to avoid the heat – Rome in winter then Reykjavík for the summer!
You only have to navigate your way around visas and work permits, but many countries, such as Spain and Portugal, are now granting special long-stay visas for digital nomads who earn their money abroad – so long as they spend it in their host nation.
Staying Safe Online
Source: Canva Pro
There’s always a downside to everything of course, and aside from dealing with travel documents, where to pay taxes, medical insurance, and such matters, there’s the issue of online security.
