The joys of a military spouse – we tend to follow our partners, luckily, now we don’t have to give up our careers / jobs every few years.
I arrived here in the UK with my husband and two teens in 2021. As a working professional I was privileged to be able to bring my work with me. I am a licenced Architect in Canada. However, for me to work in my field here in the UK I would have to undertake a lot of paperwork and proof of experience to transfer my licence here. So much so that it wouldn’t be worth it for the few years we are here. I did not want to stop work fully, as not only can it affect my license registration back in Canada, but I also enjoy my work.
Like many industries my company in Nova Scotia had set up platforms for us to be able to work from home during the pandemic. This enabled me to be able to set up an office on the other side of the pond without too many unknowns. Our industry is very collaborative, and there are a lot of benefits to working face to face. Without things like What’s App, Microsoft Teams, Zoom & Cloud sharing this wouldn’t be possible. I can connect instantaneously with those back in Canada via chats and video calls. It may not be as beneficial to the creative process as multiple brains around a piece of paper and a red pen or two, but we have made it work.
My job description has changed slightly to accommodate the time difference and distance. I have been more focused on drawing review since I have been here – that was always part of my job, however it has taken on a higher percentage now. The time difference does play in the favour of the company, as people can send me drawings at the end of their day, I review them in my morning – when I have peace and quiet (no one sending me emails or phone calls) and send them back at the end of my day – where the office still has a half day to start working on the corrections. – So, the office is active for 12 hours instead of 8. This is helping my work life balance as well. As part of the agreement, I reduced my hours by 1 day a week – so I tend to spread that one day over 5, allowing me to take an afternoon, or a Monday morning Coffee at the base, without effecting my work schedule. As long as I get the tasks needed done on time, it doesn’t matter to the office when I do it. This allows me the ability to have a leisurely morning routine – once kids and husband are off to school and work, I walk the dog, have a nice breakfast, and take my tea to my desk.
On the other hand, I need to ensure I turn off my notifications after my workday ends so my phone and computer are not blowing up while we are eating supper! It took a few months for clients to respect that at 5pm GMT it is the end of my day. I have gotten calls and “urgent” emails at 9pm at night. But to save my work-life balance my employer knows that I will not respond at that time. They respect that.
I did approach my company early on about our move so we were able to work out logistics, hours worked, tasks etc. I was very appreciative of how accepting my bosses were to accommodate my request.
If you are considering bringing your work with you on an OutCan, remember to start the conversation early and approach your employer with a plan of how to work. Determine what technology you will need and ask your employer to provide it, either in Canada to bring with you or purchase here – most computers and monitors only need adapters, but some items (like my printer / scanner) required a transformer.
Thankfully, the pandemic has opened many eyes to the idea of remote working. And the time difference can be in your favour – working a regular day with half of it quiet so you can catch up on emails and respond to items that came in over night. When clients and co-workers arrive in the morning, they have answers and tasks ready to go. If your employer is hesitant on supporting you, this may help.
When searching for a place to live, consider where you will have your office. We were lucky and found a place with a small bedroom that works for me. When considering the square footage max for your housing allowance, remember that a study / office does not count towards the limit (so a small bedroom can be referred to an office). Also, consider if your proposed office is upstairs and what size desk you have!! Some UK stairwells don’t have much space to maneuver a large oak desk up the stairs (Speaking from experience here!)
* Dependants on OUTCAN must seek permission for remote work from the host nation prior to leaving Canada. Failure to do so may result in loss of residency status and deportation. Taxation must addressed by Canada Revenue Agency in coordination with host nation. Please seek advice from an international tax expert.