There are many reasons why people may benefit from extending a personal trip overseas without having to take leave. And now our people can do exactly that.
Setting the scene
Randall is a Reading-based Senior Associate working in Deals. When he received news that his mother was unwell and would need to undergo surgery back home in India, naturally he wanted to be there to support her.
Ordinarily a trip home would take a little more planning but this was an emergency. Randall had an open discussion with his team and career coach. Together they wanted to find a way to support him to be with his family at a critical time - which is where our new International Remote Working policy, a key part of the Deal, came in.
How we helped
In February 2023, following a successful pilot last summer, we formalised the policy enabling our people to apply to work remotely from an overseas location for a maximum of three weeks per holiday year.
This means that we provide the immigration support in countries where it is possible for our people to work abroad for personal reasons - whether during a holiday, while visiting friends or family, or - as in Randall’s case - for a family emergency.
Working overseas can be complicated and this policy is designed to help simplify the process for our people from an administrative perspective. The firm also covers the costs of the appropriate visa/right to work permission and an electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA).
So as well as taking a period of leave and making the most of the Empowered Flexibility we offer our people all year round, Randall’s team also encouraged him to use this new policy so he could extend his time in India. Having a team dedicated to helping him get the approvals he needed swiftly, so he could focus on his family, was critical.
“The International Remote Working policy and the teams around me not only allowed me to spend an extended amount of time with my family, but most importantly, it enabled me to be there for my mum when she needed me the most.”
Randall Rodrigues
Senior Associate, Deals
Making a difference
With a policy like International Remote Working in place, Randall was able to spend longer in India, while working in a way that worked for him, his team and his family.
Randall’s is one of over 2,500 requests that have been approved across 101 countries since the policy launched. It’s a great example of two-way flexibility in action as we continue to evolve how we work.
Our people have told us it has been a “game changer”, which allows them to make a meaningful contribution to work while spending time with friends and family, and provides a boost to their wellbeing.
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