In the age of the internet, advanced telecommunication, and digital revolution, the impact of technology in our lives has become much more evident than merely fancy gadgets and smart solutions. As of 2017, around 18.5% in the EU were self-employed telecommuters, while 5% were employees who worked remotely from home. Up to this day, the telecommuting society is welcoming more and more workers. So much in fact, that the EU has established policies and rules regarding every case of telecommuting workers.
Working Remotely in the UK
While technology has made it so much easier to perform work remotely, there’s an even higher privilege that residents of the EU have. That is EU citizenship. You can live in one country and work in another, or work in many countries at once, without even needing a visa to cross the borders between one country and the next. With such a privilege presenting itself in a gift-wrap to you, you must be wondering how it’d be like to keep living in the UK while trying different opportunities in other European countries.
There are a lot of jobs that allow for freelance, contract based, or even remote-employment work. Out of all the jobs out there, the most common jobs for remote-work are often in the fields of digital marketing, SEO, information and communication technology, web development, data entry, all fields of consultancy, graphic designers, and motion graphic artists. According to your own skill set, you’ll definitely find more than one opportunity, in more than one country, to get you started on your telecommuting course.
Getting Paid in Euros
Getting paid in foreign currency is another exciting aspect of telecommuting and freelancing in other countries. But there’s a catch that comes with this excitement, which is that you’ll need to understand the Euro to Pound exchange rates and be up-to-date with all of the fluctuations. Another thing you’ll have to figure out is the method of payment transfer through which you’ll get your money.
With the unpredicted fluctuations in currency, you might find yourself getting paid in Euros in a lesser value than if you were paid in Sterlings. Other times, the fluctuations move in your favour, but might affect your contractors. Knowing the exchange rate your contractors’ use in a transparent way will help maintain the level of trust between the both of you. Also, the payment transfer methods vary greatly from one service producer to another. Some charge higher transfer fees, while others are more trustworthy. Before committing to one service, it’s nice to know all of your options.
European Commission Rules: Which Apply to You?
Here comes a bunch of different scenarios:
- First off, if you’re a UK resident working, or freelancing, abroad for one European country, you’ll still be liable for UK tax and national insurance contribution.
- If you’re working for more than one country yet living in the UK, and these employers are officially registered in different countries, you’re still subjected to the UK laws.
- If you’re self-employed working for other countries, you’ll be covered by the legislation of the country for which you work most.
- If you have more than one job in which you’re both employed and self-employed, you’ll be covered by the legislation of your employment country.
Telecommuting Your Way Into Remote Work
While working remotely used to have a direct correlation with getting old in age, it’s starting to become so much more popular with the youth all over the globe. For EU citizens and residents, it’s even easier for them to travel and explore all of the opportunities they can find in other European countries, and then do their work from the comfort of their homes. With every new opportunity comes a soul-reviving excitement and new challenges, all of which gives you the global experience you’re looking for.