The Practicalities of Remote/Home Office Euro-Working?

[doodab]

It is certainly practical to work from any European location. I'm sat in a deserted 1 euro/hour internet cafe in Playa de las Americas, Tenerife connected to my virtual private server (£25/month) using remote desktop connection at the moment. Full access to all the apps I need, with onward access to client systems as needed.

I'm supposed to be on holiday, but it could just as well be work.

Why would you do that on holiday? Did you forget to take a book?

[KentPhilip]

It is certainly practical to work from any European location. I'm sat in a deserted 1 euro/hour internet cafe in Playa de las Americas, Tenerife connected to my virtual private server (£25/month) using remote desktop connection at the moment. Full access to all the apps I need, with onward access to client systems as needed.

I'm supposed to be on holiday, but it could just as well be work.

[d000hg]

I am 100% home-based and have never even met my last two main clients, but admittedly this is rather unusual.

[MarillionFan]

WHS

I even do this for UK gigs, on site tues-thurs and WFH on monday and friday
Clients generally don't have a problem with it as long as there is an agreement for the arrangement to be flexible
I'd hate to be at home 100% of the time, you miss out on a lot of communication that way

WSCS. I think you need to build the relationship first before embarking on remote working.

Sat here in my wifes knickers at the moment. Bit tight though.

[TykeMerc]

As a PM it's fairly irrelevant where I'm located, so long as I have good comms links I could be on planet Zog, that being said the majority of clients tend to think in bum on seat terms.

I'm lucky that the client for my previous and current gig doesn't really cater for bums on seats except for technical teams and a few bits of management so apart from the occasional meeting and client meetings I'm based from home.

[BoredBloke]

Wasn't an option for me in Geneva. One of the reasons I eventually left. But then not an option here either!

[Pondlife]

WHS

I even do this for UK gigs, on site tues-thurs and WFH on monday and friday
Clients generally don't have a problem with it as long as there is an agreement for the arrangement to be flexible
I'd hate to be at home 100% of the time, you miss out on a lot of communication that way

Crown lounge is boring these days mate.

[Spacecadet]

I'm usually sat in my pants on Mon & Fri. I get the last flights out on Mon & Thurs so the weekend is not affected.

I do this most weeks and client has no problem with it.

Working from home not an issue for the client although I like to be seen on site to find out what's really happening. I could travel less but I wouldn't be as effective (IMHO).

WHS

I even do this for UK gigs, on site tues-thurs and WFH on monday and friday
Clients generally don't have a problem with it as long as there is an agreement for the arrangement to be flexible
I'd hate to be at home 100% of the time, you miss out on a lot of communication that way

[TestMangler]

Ok this is a question (well more of a musing really) for you EuroCommuters.

There is a growing trend in my field for big gigs on the continent which I'm getting
more and more calls about. I don't really want to do the 4/5 day weekly commute
thing (which is partly why I took the easy permie commute into London) so I'm wondering
whether working remotely is generally becoming a more accepted option across your respective
fields if clientcos aren't getting the people they need. To make it more workable for me, and palatable
for clientcos, I'm thinking of pitching something like.

- work from home office with all phone / camera connectivity needed for low rate
- occasional commute to clientco at excessive rate + t&es

If you are doing it (or you are a hiring clientco) - how is it working for you?

I'm doing it, but not in a different country as such.

I live in a remote area in Scotland and Client Co is in Halifax, West Yorks.

I have a long standing relationship with the client and as Mitch says, that's pretty important, or it was in my case anyway.

It can be done though. I offered a 10% cut in day rate for the time spent WFH but also negotiated full rate plus expenses and paid travelling time for office based time. I'm currently doing 3 from 4 weeks at home.

[moorfield]

Here in Holland I've found it's OK if you've first built up a relationship of trust with clientco, but I haven't come across a clientco who'll allow it from day one.

Yeah it worked out well when I was in NL last year.
Easy hop over and I finished up doing 2 days/week offsite.

If it weren't for missus / family commitments etc etc I'd do
more of it. But such is life.

[Pondlife]

I'm usually sat in my pants on Mon & Fri. I get the last flights out on Mon & Thurs so the weekend is not affected.

I do this most weeks and client has no problem with it.

Working from home not an issue for the client although I like to be seen on site to find out what's really happening. I could travel less but I wouldn't be as effective (IMHO).



Edit: forgot to add, I charge the same rate regardless. I like the client to think that they get the same service regardless and for me it all balances out. I charge an all in rate except for flights and don't really care where they ask me to go. If they sent me some where uber expensive I'd make a bit of a fuss about costs etc but TBH I'm very happy with my rate so don't feel the need to push the issue.

YMMV etc.

[Mich the Tester]

Here in Holland I've found it's OK if you've first built up a relationship of trust with clientco, but I haven't come across a clientco who'll allow it from day one.

[moorfield]

Ok this is a question (well more of a musing really) for you EuroCommuters.

There is a growing trend in my field for big gigs on the continent which I'm getting
more and more calls about. I don't really want to do the 4/5 day weekly commute
thing (which is partly why I took the easy permie commute into London) so I'm wondering
whether working remotely is generally becoming a more accepted option across your respective
fields if clientcos aren't getting the people they need. To make it more workable for me, and palatable
for clientcos, I'm thinking of pitching something like.

- work from home office with all phone / camera connectivity needed for low rate
- occasional commute to clientco at excessive rate + t&es

If you are doing it (or you are a hiring clientco) - how is it working for you?