As organisations weigh up their ongoing approach to flexible working, Vodafone NZ is encouraging its staff to work wherever they have internet coverage this summer and suggesting other businesses get onboard with free-range working to reap the benefits, as well as support our regions as part of a joint ‘Work from Anywhere’ movement alongside Tourism Holdings (thl) and Tourism NZ.
Lindsay Zwart, Vodafone NZ, Chief Enterprise Officer, says: “Kiwi organisations know just how important remote working tools are after the disruptions of COVID-19. We’ve all had to adapt to working from home, so we believe it’s time to embrace free-range working more broadly - whether it’s from a local café between meetings, during an extended stay with family, or while roaming free in a campervan at popular beachside towns over summer.
“We want to help through our Vodafone Business free-range working offering, to create a future where staff no longer have to be at work, to work. We are confident other organisations will reap the benefits, because our people have long embraced free-range working.
“We equip teams with the tools and frameworks to fit their work around their lifestyle - whether that’s finishing early on a Friday, as we encouraged last summer with our ‘summer hours’ policy, or working from another location and adapting their hours to suit their family situation. Most Vodafoners have a connected laptop, with a mobile SIM card so they can work wherever they have internet coverage, and everyone has a mobile phone as we’ve done away with traditional landlines - plus cloud collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams to communicate seamlessly from almost anywhere.
“We’re encouraging other Kiwi businesses to embrace this more liberating way of working, and realise business benefits such as better productivity, happier staff and even cost and efficiency savings.”
thl is also walking the talk, with the support of Tourism New Zealand, by officially launching a 4-week ‘Work from Anywhere’ policy, allowing employees to choose to work from anywhere over January and February, opening up new possibilities when it comes to what is done before work, after work, and even during lunch breaks.
To help Kiwis and businesses to enable their staff to roam and work from anywhere, thl is also trialling a “mobile office” package, reducing motorhome rental costs by up to 40% from January through to March* and offering a 4G WiFi solution for motorhomes with generous data allowances via Kiwi ISP Wireless Nation, powered by the Vodafone network.
Tourism Holdings (thl) CEO, Grant Webster, thinks these are the perfect ingredients for an extended summer, benefiting the wellbeing of both employees and the regions. He says: “Now that we can take our work with us, we can enjoy a lifestyle previously reserved for traditionally ‘digitally nomadic’ roles. So, this summer we’re inviting those who can to fully embrace the potential of flexible working - and work from a beachside town, have an extended stay with family in another region, or continue working wherever their summer adventure leads, enjoying our beautiful country. We think a motorhome is, of course, the perfect mobile office!”
Whilst bookings at campsites and the like are busy over the traditional New Year period, there is a sudden drop off mid-January - as Kiwis resume their commitments. Bjoern Spreitzer, GM Domestic at Tourism New Zealand welcomes the potential of the Work from Anywhere movement. “Working from Anywhere means workers will have more time to spend exploring the country and doing something new, at the best time of the year to experience it. New Zealanders have the potential to make a real difference for our cities and regions - it’s a win / win.”
Other Kiwi organisations can find out how to get on board at www.workfromanywhere.co.nz.
For more information about Vodafone’s free-range working solutions, please visit http://www.vodafone.co.nz/workfreerange.
*For full terms and conditions, and to book campervans, please visit: https://www.britz.com/nz/en/campervan-hire-deals/work-from-anywhere
