I could give 100 reasons why I shouldn’t have left my comfort zone in the IT department at Cpl in Dublin, but in the end, I only needed one reason to go – the same job, just better weather.
Why, why, why?
Why did I decide to move to Italy? Why Lecce? Even the locals ask, why come to work here? I remember talking to a man in Amsterdam. He worked with a financial accounting firm doing company audits. He explained that the company had more employees than office space and so employees were encouraged to work from home.
After the initial shock of hearing this concept, I realised it made sense. There’s plenty of research to suggest that the future workplace will be more mobile, more remote and, as a result, more productive. Lots of companies now offer the option of working from home or working remotely – like American firm Buffer whose team all work remotely.
Luckily for me, Cpl supported my move and decision to work remotely. Cpl have a strong IT infrastructure, backed by a fantastic IT team. This is what made it possible for me to make the move to Italy.
How remote working works
A working routine is important and I’m slowly finding mine. Italy is an hour ahead so I start work at 10am – before which I sit outside in the sun and watch the traffic and people go by.
Direct contact with my colleagues is what’s missing so I depend on email or Skype. Communicating via email means we think a little harder about what we want to ask each other or inform each other of. I’m missing out on the laughter in the office and company events such as bake days, but I don’t feel homesick yet. I’ve a whole new culture and environment to discover.
When is it possible to work remotely?
I’ve never had a “bad boss” and although each of my bosses have been different, there has always been a mutual respect. This respect is important if you’re going to ask to work remotely.
Does your boss trust and respect you? Is your work valuable to the company? Do your colleagues respect your work? An honest assessment of these questions is important. Fortunately, the IT director in Cpl respects and trusts those under him. The company culture is open to using new technology in the workplace which has benefit
Remote working is becoming more popular and is an important consideration for companies who want to increase employees work-life balance.