iOFFICE Employee Participating in We Roam Program
Our team at iOFFICE consists of our home base in Houston with a few remote employees sprinkled throughout the U.S. As a technology company, our founders recognized early on that with the right technology, it’s possible to have some of our team working remote. One of those remote workers happens to be me. I normally work out of my home office in Southern California. However, this summer I have been offered the very special opportunity to work a bit further from home, all the way across the pond in fact, in Europe. I will be participating in the We Roam travel abroad work program, and for three months I will be working from the Czech Republic, Germany and Croatia.
The way we define work and how we complete it is changing, you don’t need us to tell you that. There have been countless studies conducted which show the increased interest in flexible working arrangements, especially with younger generations. It’s estimated that companies save around $11,000 each year when an employee works out of the office, and it’s known that many employees hold flexible and remote working at a higher level than salary increases, and 60% of employees say they would leave their current position for a remote one of equal pay.
While offering a remote employee program isn’t for every company, it certainly helps differentiate your organization from the masses when you’re competing to retain top talent. As the freelance marketplace continues to grow, it’s important for organizations to consider this type of position privilege. It definitely helps recruit forward-thinking individuals, and promotes self-motivating teams.
Fortunately, iOFFICE understands the changes happening in the world of work, and has granted me permission to continue working remotely – from just a bit further away. Starting this month, I will be joining We Roam’s first Polaris team in Prague. We will live and work in Prague all of June, and then continue the trip to Berlin in July and finally Split for August. I will be blogging about the varying coworking spaces I will be spending my days in, and will surely have much to report on the work environment in each city. I can’t wait for you to read all about it!
About We Roam 
Currently in its initiation year, We Roam has set out to support the rapid increase in demand from workers wanting to travel while continuing to work in their current positions. Founders, Sean Harvey and Nathan Yates, both developed passion for travel while studying abroad in school. They came together to develop a program that connects forward-thinking individuals who share the desire to travel while working remotely. Their belief is an individual shouldn’t be forced to choose between traveling the world or pursing their career. We Roam handles all logistics for participants, including coordinating accommodation and providing access to a coworking space.
“The mobilization of the modern workforce is more than just a trend — it is becoming the new status quo.” – Nathan Yates, co founder of We Roam
However, the program offers much more than just a place to sleep and work. It provides a sense of community for those working abroad while also offering professional development opportunities throughout their participation. The program offers multiple itineraries for 2017 and 2018, and has flexible arrangements for those unable to commit to the full year abroad. They also offer a partner program for companies looking to expand their remote staff. Be sure to check out BBC’s article on similar programs, and We Roam’s feature in the piece.
