Work location does not matter, say Australian employees

Almost one third (30%) of Australian employees believe that they can still perform to the best of their abilities for their current employers even if they move to countries overseas, with this sentiment most prevalent among younger employees.

According to the ADP Research Institute’s People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View report, which surveyed over 1,400 Australian employees, 39% of respondents aged 18-24 considering relocation an option compared to only 9% of respondents 55 years or older.

These employees are also likely to work in the IT and telecommunication industry, where 70% of respondents working in those sectors are more likely to believe that they could easily relocate overseas and stay at their organisation.

Collectively, nearly two in 10 employees (18%) believe that it will be the norm in their industry to work remotely from anywhere in the world in the next five years.

Employees in favour of working from different locations say believe they can do this because their employer’s flexible working policy does not require them to be in a specific location or that they have seen others do it successfully. Flexibility of location is cited by one in six employees (18%) as an important factor to them in a job.

READ MORE: Supporting thriving employees in remote workplaces

Kylie Baullo, Managing Director ANZ at ADP, commented that the trend of being able to work anywhere was here to stay, but organisations need to effectively address security and logistical considerations for employees to effectively manage work across different time zones. “It is imperative for employers to communicate clearly and transparently regarding the permissibility of working from abroad and the specific circumstances under which it is allowed,” she said.