Bosses letting Brits go on ‘wolidays’ – as long as they have decent internet

Millions of Brits are staying on at their UK summer staycations this year to get their jobs done by the beach…dubbed The Woliday – that is, working from holiday.

EE, which runs the UK’s biggest and fastest mobile network, has revealed almost half (47%) of Brits are extending their UK breaks this year after their plans abroad were scuppered by travel restrictions and are making the most of being able to work from wherever they are.

Beaches are proving the most popular option for those who are planning to take a ‘woliday’ this summer with 42% saying they will work from the beach and 54% saying the feel of sand between their toes will make them more productive.

EE has now upgraded its mobile capacity in Brighton, Poole, Blackpool and Southend-on-Sea, among a host of other UK resorts.

The research from EE shows more than two thirds (68%) expect to reply to work emails from their ‘woliday’ while one in five (22%) say they will dial into meetings from the beach and a third (31%) will check in with their boss from the poolside.

The biggest motivating factor was being able to spend quality time with loved-ones out of office hours (73%), over a quarter (27%) said they wanted to be closer to nature and 22% said it would reduce stress.

Smartphones are key with 46% of Brits saying they could do their whole job with just their mobile while 36% say picking a destination with reliable mobile connectivity providing superfast 4G and 5G speeds on their handsets is a priority when planning a break.

EE, named the UK’s best mobile network for eight years running, is helping families who are wolidaying make the most of their time away and is rolling out its award-winning 5G network – now available across many of the UK’s much-loved beaches and seaside resorts. EE also offers 4GEE and 5GEE WiFi mobile broadband devices which are perfect for connecting laptops and tablets, so Brits don’t always need to rely on their smartphone to keep themselves and their family online.

To make sure they can work remotely seven in 10 (70%) say they will be bringing their work mobile phone on holiday, while 56% say they will bring their laptop and 9% plan to bring files or paperwork to read.

Alex Cornett, Mobile Propositions Director at EE, said: “Millions of us are holidaying in the UK this year, and EE is here to help people make the most of it.

“This isn’t about bunking off and it isn’t about having to work through your holiday, this is about a unique opportunity to extend our holidays and make the most of our time by the seaside with family and friends.

“EE is already making waves in seaside towns so if you plan to work from the beach this summer, our 4G and 5G coverage is a shore thing.”

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Company boss Jennifer Hodgson, of Chester, Cheshire, is happily letting her staff work from the beach over the summer – as a reward for their efforts over the past 18 months.

Jennifer, 32, who runs a marketing business, said: “I’ve said to the five people in my team that if they want to work from their holiday destination this summer then to go for it.

“I’ve no problem as long as they are connected, in touch and make sure they know what work is required to be completed. They know there will still be daily meetings to dial into, Zoom conferences to attend and clients to liaise with. But, as long as the team has a decent phone, laptop and signal then it’s really not an issue.

“In the past when we sat down and planned our holidays it was always focused on how you could squeeze a week in around work. I remember times I took a midnight flight to be back in the office at 9am. But, now, it really doesn’t have to be that way.”

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