My experience working from abroad in California

I had the opportunity to take advantage of this policy and spent 18 wonderful days in California, specifically in Los Angeles and San Diego. During my trip, I strategically combined holiday days, working remotely, and long weekends to maximise my time with friends and family on the vibrant West Coast — it was truly the best holiday experience. I spent 6 days working, and can highly recommend working from abroad!

I started my trip by visiting family in Los Angeles. I spent five days there, working for three of those days, while also exploring the city, playing tennis, and enjoying delicious food. Afterward, I embarked on a trip to San Diego with five friends, spending a night in the amazing Anza-Borrego Desert on the way. In San Diego, I spent three more days working remotely, which allowed me to balance my time between the beach, indulging in more amazing food, and exploring some of the city's best bars.

Working from abroad requires maintaining the same level of work intensity and quality as when you're in your usual work environment. To make this transition easier during my time in California, I reached an agreement with my manager and team to adjust my working hours slightly to align with UK working hours and the local time zone. As a result, I started working at 5am local time. This arrangement not only helped me adapt to working on the other side of the world but also provided a great advantage — I finished work by local lunchtime, giving me the entire day to explore.

In addition to different working hours, working from abroad also meant working in different spaces. Fortunately, I typically work with a single screen, so this adjustment was relatively seamless, but some of my colleagues have used a portable second screen.

Getting my request approved, preparing myself for success beforehand, and actually executing my work remotely were all incredibly easy, and I was supported throughout by my team and manager. I am eagerly anticipating the next opportunity to utilise this fantastic benefit!

Want to hear about our Work From Abroad policy? Read more about Lara and Rosanna's experience here.