'I spent a week in Spain without using any annual leave thanks to holiday hack'

16 May 2023 , 14:53

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Amy Irvine with her friend Olivia Smith (Image: Amy Irvine / SWNS)

An office worker lapped up the sun in Spain for a week without using up her holiday allowance thanks to remote working.

Amy Irvine and Olivia Smith, who are based in London, spent a week soaking up the sun in Marbella in April without having to take a day off work.

"I just wanted to go and get some sunshine to be honest. I feel like it was so nice to have that change of scenery and work from anywhere. Maybe it would have been more stressful in the UK," said Amy.

Their workplace has a policy allowing all employees to work from anywhere in the world.

It allowed Amy, 27, head of the digital PR company, and Olivia , also 27, to spend their days working from the balcony of their apartment just a stone's throw from the beach.

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Amy soaked up the sun in Marbella for a week (Amy Irvine / SWNS)

Their workplace was a stone's throw from the beach (Amy Irvine / SWNS)

Lunch breaks were filled with a quick dip in the pool before they headed out for some drinks in the evening.

Amy has used the policy to take two other trips around the UK - Kielder Forest in Northumbria for her mum's 50th and Whitby in the North East to extend a holiday - but this is the first time she's used it to venture abroad.

Amy, from Kendal, Cumbria, said: "After Covid we realised that everyone could work from anywhere and it became a policy. If the job allows, then everyone should ask their boss if they can work remotely - and use the chance to head abroad.

Their company allows them to work remotely (Amy Irvine / SWNS)

The friends were able to spend a week abroad without using their holiday allowance (Amy Irvine / SWNS)

"Chances are if you can work from home, you can work from Spain, France, anywhere with a similar time zone to the UK. I'd 100% recommend doing it - it's nice to get away, but not have to use up your holiday allowance."

She told how the change of scenery was relaxing.

"The sunshine just makes everything better. We went for drinks and some tapas in the evenings and it made you feel like you're on holiday again - we even went to a beach club one evening. We went for a swim on our lunch breaks and it was so nice to wake up to sunshine and not the rain. It felt really surreal," she continued.

Amy felt that her productivity was increased by working from a different location (Amy Irvine / SWNS)

Amy said how the sunshine "makes everything better" (Amy Irvine / SWNS)

Amy says the working holiday and new environment even helped with productivity. She said: "I definitely felt more productive and it increased motivation. It was nice to work with my colleague - who is usually in the London office - as well. I think if you work in a job where you can do that it's a really nice benefit and leads to a better work life balance."

Amy has also used the policy to take trips to Kielder Forest, Northumberland, for her mum's birthday - while other colleagues have gone as far as South Africa. She says that she doesn't have any current plans for a future trip, but hopes to work abroad again in the summer and autumn months.

Tim Hanlon