Remote Workers Traveling To Madison, Milwaukee Now Have Better Options For Extended Stays
4.3 million Americans left their jobs in December as the omicron variant disrupted return-to-work plans for tech employers like Robinhood, Spotify, and Amazon. The work-from-anywhere movement is now accelerating throughout Madison, Milwaukee metros, and local short-term rental operator Remotely promises “making remote life simply comfortable.”
Madison, WI. February 21st, 2022 — The consensus is clear: Workers would rather quit than go back to the office full-time. Tech workers especially want to stay remote. Mid-sized tech companies are getting creative with offering Remote Work policies to attract talent, and it’s working in Wisconsin. According to a recent Prudential survey of 2,000 adults working from home during the pandemic, an overwhelming 87% want the ability to continue doing so after the risks of the virus subside.
It’s a boom time for both Madison and Milwaukee tech hubs, inspired in part by UW-Madison entrepreneurial graduates, surrounded by over a dozen co-working spaces between metros. Then there’s the Milky Way tech hub and the Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition, which aims to double the tech workforce in southeastern Wisconsin. In 2021, local employers committed to hiring hundreds of tech workers, according to an annual impact report from MKE Tech Hub Coalition, which is a significant attraction for remote workers traveling the world searching for the next gig.
Kathy Henrich, chief executive officer of the MKE Tech Hub Coalition, said in a recent interview with BizTimes that “In 2021, we grew to (a) sustainable 110+ member organization, collaborating to grow the MKE Tech Ecosystem. Collectively, we multiply each other’s efforts and develop solutions that can scale.” According to Henrich, the impact report ultimately suggests, “This presents a unique opportunity to sell tech workers on the high quality of life that Milwaukee affords.”
Making Room for Remote Workers
Traveling for work a decade ago meant eating out daily, cramped hotel rooms, and basic cable, but now remote workers are savvy chefs, AR enthusiasts, and NFT connoisseurs seeking workforce rental homes for longer extended stays.
Savvy Madison-based Remotely promises to make remote life simply comfortable with dedicated workstations and ultra-fast Wi-Fi in every professionally curated rental. “Remote workers coming to Madison to work in the University of Wisconsin system, health care institutions, tech hubs, and corporate headquarters do not have many options for simple, comfortable extended stays. We’re working on solving that problem,” says Drew Reynolds, co-founder of Remotely. “Milwaukee faces similar challenges, and we’re excited about our expansion plans there and beyond.”
The company is currently executing expansion endeavors and has plans to open workforce rentals in Milwaukee this year. “Our active workforce rentals in Madison are by the UW Hospital, Downtown, and the near East Side (Williamson St). The plan is to operate a total of at least 30 by year’s end and 100 by the end of 2023,” says Reynolds.
Remotely’s “mid-term housing” strategy comes at a good time as demand is gaining traction, and the local real estate industry benefits from such diversification. Mid-term has become generally defined as furnished housing for remote workers staying for three to nine months on average. Yet, the extra amenities and pet-friendly options are winning over new fans indefinitely.
About Remotely: Founded in February 2020, Remotely is a small growing team of Madison and Milwaukee locals with a diverse background in accommodations, customer service, and real estate operations. Click the link for more information: Contact drew@stay-remotely.com for more information or click the link Extended Stay Rentals | Corporate Housing (stay-remotely.com).
