Work from Anywhere: London, part 2 (Dave Sellers edition)
In the month of June, I’m having a little summer fun and day dreaming with you to fulfill so many small business owner dreams: work from anywhere.
And since my husband Dave and I repatriated from London 5 years ago, I’m sharing my (and his) accounts of what #workfromanywhere London life is like. So here are 5 great things about working in London, according to Dave Sellers…
1. You have a notice period.
If you’re a local UK employee, you’re likely to have a 3 or 6 month “notice period” in your contract. This means: if you resign, you’re still obligated to your company for this amount of time; also known as garden leave. If you’re in a market-facing competitive position (think: sales, management, etc.), your company will probably “send you to the garden,” meaning: a 3-6 month paid vacation(!) to keep you away from clients and sensitive info for awhile.
If you’re in an internal role, you’ll work your notice period, like Dave did. He liked this because it meant
(a) the company could find the right replacement in lieu of a just-fill-the-seat replacement and
(b) he was able to do a comprehensive on-boarding and hand-off, creating a successful outcome for everyone.
Because the entire UK job market works this way, it works. The British are baffled by Americans’ 2 week notice standard.
2. The multi-cultural office. work from anywhere
Off the cuff, he named people who were on his team, from the UK, US, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Australia. He argues that it’s better to be exposed to more people who have different experiences from you. To him, it just makes sense, especially if you’re a multi-national company: you must look and think like the variety of customers you serve. I raised him right ; )
Both our work and personal experiences in London have made us want to continue living in immigration-friendly places in the future. Truthfully, we’ve struggled a bit with this in Nashville. Also, about the lack of Indian food in middle Tennessee…
3. Drink anytime you like. work from anywhere
The stereotypes are true. In London, drink anytime and anywhere. Bars around the financial district fill up everyday at lunchtime, and a good part of the crowd will linger in the streets, late into the evening. Dave argues that even though it’s old school and can get excessive, it’s nice for a night out and allowed him to deeply bond with his workmates. And apparently, “It promotes free exchange of ideas.” Mmhmm.
4. Employers file your UK taxes.
Those of us conditioned to cramming for April 15th, know: this is a nice feature of the British government.
5. The British take their off-hours seriously.
Work-Life Balance is fantastic. There’s no expectation of out-of-hours emailing, and weekends are 100% yours. And best of all: you do not have to carefully ration out each precious vacation day or “hoard your holiday,” as Dave says. He really relates to the European philosophy that you work to have the resources to not be in work, so… don’t be in work.
Sounds dreamy, right? But it’s totally possible. If you’re a small business owner, try embracing some of these philosophies in your HR policy. I’ve definitely seen the #workfromanywhere freedom enhance our lives and our business at Ellevated Outcomes. It’s a win-win, human-first, way to marry life and work.
Thanks, London. 😉
