Millions of Digital Nomads are Traveling the World -- and Sometimes Working at Night
"Almost 17 million U.S. employees describe themselves as digital nomads," reports Bloomberg, "more than double the pre-pandemic number, according to MBO Partners, a firm that connects companies with freelance talent." Bloomberg says one worker sees their lifestyle as less of a vacation and "more about forming a genuine connection with a place and the people who live there."[T]he abrupt shift to remote work during the pandemic pulled what was long an idle fantasy for many into the realm of the possible... The trend of longer work-leisure trips has accelerated as pent-up demand for international travel has boomed after years of restrictions. That's giving some digital nomads a bad reputation for driving up prices and trampling local culture in popular vacation destinations, but it hasn't slowed them down. Dozens of countries are marketing a new class of visas to these professionals to compete for tourism dollars. And despite many highly publicised return-to-office announcements in recent months, some degree of remote work remains a fixture at most companies. "You hear stories all the time like, 'I went skydiving before I started my workday,'" one digital nomad told Bloomberg. They're participating in Remote Year, which Bloomberg describes as "a program that functions like a kind of study abroad trip for working adults." But here's the catch. Because they're working in distant timezones, many far-flung remote workers "work a split shift, logging on for a few hours in the evening through midnight, before taking a few hours to sleep and then waking up to log back on for another round."Tue Le, chief executive officer of Remote Year, estimates that somewhere around 15% of program participants traveling in Asia keep strict U.S. hours by staying up overnight. Roughly another third work flexible hours with a mix of evenings or early mornings to collaborate with coworkers back home. While it may be challenging, one digital nomad took naps as needed - offering this advice. "Don't let people nap-shame you."
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