New research from hybrid work solutions provider IWG has put Sydney as among the top ‘workation’ cities for global hybrid workers.
IWG has ranked the best ‘workation’ cities with marks out of 10 for climate, culture, accommodation, transport, food & drink, happiness, broadband speed and the availability of flexible workspace. Based on these criteria, Sydney scored highly particularly for climate and happiness with a score of 8.5 for each.
Barcelona and Toronto came on the top of the list, registering particularly strong scores in broadband speed and accommodation prices. Barcelona also scored high in subsistence while Toronto scored high in happiness and availability of flexible workspaces. Beijing rounded up the top three in IWG’s ranking, particularly for culture, accommodation, and transport costs.
IWG also noted that 88 per cent of hybrid workers ‘worked from anywhere’ last year, while 57 per cent extended holidays by working from abroad. In addition, 67 per cent believe they can effectively perform their jobs from abroad, and a significant 71 per cent stated that they would only consider a job that offers the flexibility to work remotely, at least part of the time.
The study also highlighted that improved work-life balance (76 per cent) is the most common benefit cited for working from anywhere. Additionally, the ability to spend more time with friends and family abroad (52 per cent), save money by traveling during off-peak times (47 per cent), and enjoy longer holidays (30 per cent) were other key advantages mentioned.
“For an increasing number of workers, hybrid working offers the opportunity to work wherever we will be the most productive,” IWG Country Head for Australia, Damien Sheehan, said. “And thanks to cloud technology, that can be anywhere in the world, provided there’s a high-quality internet connection available. So, it’s no wonder that more and more individuals are embracing the idea of combining work with travel, whether it’s for a few days tacked on to the end of a vacation, or a few months as a digital nomad.
“This trend is set to accelerate further, and we will continue to see more and more companies embracing WFA policies to improve employees’ work-life balance and increase their attractiveness as an employer,” Sheehan concluded.
