How I Spent 5 Weeks Working From Abroad, Employer Supported
My new favorite employee benefit
A new job offer often comes with many other perks than the salary alone. Employee benefits are designed to help promote employee satisfaction and well-being.
One of the empowering aspects of working for Publicis Groupe is the corporate’s commitment to work-life balance. Alongside the usual perks like free breakfast, discounts, etc, this year we’ve already seen an increase in “rest days” in our calendar, paid days off to allow the full company to disconnect from work and recharge.
So when Publicis Groupe announced this new 2022 perk I was thrilled!
In January was announced the new Work Your World program that allows us (the employees) to work anywhere in the world for up to six weeks every year! Fully remote, supported work for wherever you want, how cool is that! I was already dreaming about where I could work from while reading this news.
Indeed it’s been a life-changing benefit for those who have already chosen the adventure, like me.
The program
Work Your World combines flexibility, opportunity and growth for all people, with health and safety at its core.
This not only benefits employees but the employers too: happy and less stressed employees are more present and successful at work.
It’s a unique benefit that enables employees to explore the world, connect with team members in different countries, and immerse themselves in new cultures and lifestyles.
But also change location and recharge your batteries, without losing contact with your team.
Work Your World also allows us to house swap or share space at a colleague’s place via the new Home Swap Home internal listing platform. So we could even avoid paying for the accommodation.
It’s invigorating to see this program flourish since its launch earlier this year. And I keep suggesting my colleagues to embrace this experience and work their world!
I’m so glad to see my company understanding that workplace conditions are different today than they were only two years ago and taking steps forward to adjust to it.
All decisions taken are data-driven, analyzing company metrics and taking in consideration our thoughts collected through surveys to understand what works for us and doesn’t damage the teamwork, the company revenue and the clients’ commitment. During the pandemic we have proved we can archive our targets even when working remotely and/or from abroad.
How have I spent my 7 weeks abroad
Some context: Publicis Groupe employs nearly 80,000 professionals and it is present in over 100 countries. Also, I’m from Italy and based in London, UK, working as Data Solutions Specialist for Epsilon, part of Publicis Groupe.
So how have I decided to spend my time away from London?
I couldn’t miss the chance to immerse myself in 7 weeks* of sunshine and good Italian cuisine!
*7 weeks = 5 weeks working using the WYW program + 2 weeks holidays.
With hundreds of Chrome windows open on food blogs, travel blogs, tips and whatever my excitement wanted to look at, at the end of May 2022 I landed in Milan, the first stop of my Work Your World.
After a nice weekend as a tourist with an Italian friend who joined me last minute, I started my 9–5… at 10 am — Italy is 1h ahead compared to the UK.
This means having the chance to enjoy the city a little longer before going to the office.
It means enjoying a nice cappuccino and getting lost in Milan taking thousands of pics.
Being in a different location than usual, I felt more motivated and determined to complete my work on time, to avoid delaying the rest of my evening city tour. I received a warm welcome from the Italian Talent Team, had lunch with them at the office’s terrace and explored their modern office.
6 days passed by and I’m now heading to the seaside!
A quick change of suitcase and I am in Bibione with my mother.
Our daily routine includes: 2 hours of walking or cycling on the seafront, early in the morning when it is still quiet and relaxing, then back inside (10 am, or 9 am in the UK) and start working full of energy. After work, we spent our evenings at the beach enjoying the view and a ladies’ chat — no sunburn this time!
Repeat this routine for the following 5 days. Not bad, isn’t it?
Every time I’m surprised how sun + movement before work energises me. It was one of the working weeks this year where I felt less stressed and more productive, a blessing for body and mind to plan for next year already.
Last 3 weeks of work, with the family
Home Sweet Home.
This year I was able to spend more time with my family than in previous years, without having to use the paid days off available.
I even had time to meet one of my childhood friends for breakfast and organize the weekend together. That morning there was no “I don’t want to work” but an “I can’t wait to get up and join her” and then I sat down to work with high levels of dopamine.
Laptop turned off, it’s holiday time!
After 5 weeks of WYW, it’s time for my boyfriend to join me from London for his first experience in Italy!
In 2 weeks I managed to show him so many different and unique landscapes: Venice, Possagno, Asolo, and then Naples, Capri, Pompeii and Rome, not bad eh?!
Some of the activities we covered include:
- Taste the famous Neapolitan pizza where “Eat, pray, love” was filmed
- Complete my list of typical pastry shops and cafes (with the best espresso, Sicilian cannoli, tiramisu and coffee with babà from the area)
- Share different platters of cold cuts and cheese paired with local wine (Rome) and ‘’cicchetti’’ and Spritz (Venice)
- There was also some spaghetti allo scoglio involved
We walked at least 16,000 steps per day:
- Walking up and down the bridges in Venice
- Visiting the plaster cast gallery and the temple of Antonio Canova in Possagno
- Immersing ourselves in Capri’s splendor
- Following the tour guide among the ruins of Pompeii
- Along Spaccanapoli
- Wandering around the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, then to Trastevere, etc., enjoying the unique views.
Have I enjoyed this experience?
Someone said “How You Start Your Day Will Define Your Day”: having started my days on the beach, visiting Milan, or having breakfast with the family, definitely affected my good mood for the rest of the day, helping with my stress and therefore being able to be more focused during working hours.
If I hadn’t had the opportunity to work from home (in Italy) I would certainly have used part of the holidays to stay with my family, limiting the days available to visit other cities and experience this unforgettable adventure.
Instead, I had the opportunity to meet new colleagues in Milan, spend more time with family and friends, live new experiences and create good memories, all in 7 different and unique weeks!
I hope that this program (WYW) will be joined by anyone who wants to disconnect from their desk for a while, change routines and feel more inspired and motivated, with a positive impact on both work productivity and the level of stress and therefore on mental well-being.
I love this benefit from Publicis Groupe and being able to experience a world I would otherwise not see day-to-day in the office.
Interested in joining our team? Publicis Groupe is always hiring — worldwide, hybrid or remotely — and I can’t suggest it enough! Hope you will find the right position for you to enjoy this opportunity, bon voyage!
