Vodafone Germany allows employees to work from abroad for 20 days at own cost
The view from the balcony falls on the French Mediterranean coast. Sunbeams on your face, flip-flops on your feet. Sound like vacation? Not necessarily, because this is how a working day can start for Vodafone employees – thanks to ‘ Full Flex EU ‘. Vodafone has been offering this option since October 2021. Full Flex EU
Vodafone employees can open their laptops twenty days a year in all member states of the European Union. And that very unbureaucratically and quickly. In addition to more flexibility, this also offers the opportunity to experience a change of scenery outside of vacation or to spend more time with the family who lives in other EU countries. The experiences are diverse, sometimes contrary, but consistently positive.
“If you want motivated employees, you should offer them a flexible, trusting work environment. That’s exactly what we do at Vodafone, because there’s nothing wrong with working abroad temporarily – just like you can decide whether you work in the office or on the go. The response to the offer shows us that we have taken the right step,” says Felicitas von Kyaw, Human Resources Manager at Vodafone.
Legal framework for the Full Flex EU concept
Vodafone enables its employees to work from another EU country for a total of twenty days a year. Since October 1, 2021, in addition to ‘Full Flex’ within Germany, there has also been the ‘Full Flex EU’ concept. Employees can apply for a stay abroad via a fully automated workflow. Clear framework conditions have been created for this. This includes the fact that the ‘Full Flex EU’ can only be claimed in countries of the European Union. The quota is limited to twenty days and ‘Full Flex EU’ activities must be carried out from private rooms. In addition, it is important to apply for an A1 certificate in good time. Travel or other costs are not covered by the company, as this is a private trip and not a business trip.
Be it the wooden hut in Sweden, the camper van in Holland or a long weekend with the family in Italy. Demand from employees is high. Since the start in October 2021, over 1,000 employees have taken advantage of the offer and booked a total of over 6,000 days. On average, each applicant takes eight days. Some only use one or two days, others extend their vacation by 14 days. These figures refer to a period of time in which there were travel restrictions due to corona and which are not among the classic travel months. Against this background, the company expects even higher demand and increasing numbers in the future.
Change of scenery, new perspectives & energy boost Full Flex EU
Felix Ernestus set up his office for a few days in the middle of the Swedish countryside – far away from his home in Leipzig. In order to make his regular on-site visits to Swedish family members even better, the group manager in IT has used the Full Flex EU concept twice since last year. While he works during the day, he can enjoy the outdoors, go sailing and spend time with his family in the evenings. With him, new creative ideas arise primarily through a new perspective.
