When you’re trying to attract the best talent, enhance your EVP and boost your employer brand, responding to what people actually look for is a solid first step. And a work from anywhere policy does just that. 

In fact, WFA is the single most searched-for benefit on our platform, ahead of health insurance, mental health support, and every other perk employers typically lead with. Location flexibility as a whole ranks second only to salary in what candidates want from an employer.

But offering WFA and doing it properly are two very different things. 

What is a WFA policy and why do you need one?

A work from anywhere policy is a formal document that sets out the terms under which employees can work from a country other than their usual place of employment. It's distinct from a remote working policy, which governs where in their home country employees can work, because WFA is specifically about working internationally.

You need a documented WFA policy because informal arrangements expose both the employer and the employee to risk. Without a policy, there's no consistent standard for who can use WFA and on what terms, which tends to result in approvals that vary by manager, create resentment among employees who feel they've been treated differently, and leave the business without clear guidance on how to handle tax and employment law obligations when they arise. 

A formalised policy removes the ambiguity and also signals to candidates and employees that WFA is a real benefit, not a vague hypothetical. It’s this kind of detail that helps you shout about being a true WFA company.

What should your WFA policy include?

A well-written work from anywhere policy should cover the following clearly:

• Eligibility. Is WFA available to all employees from day one, or is there a probationary period? Does it apply to all roles, or are there categories of work where it isn't practical? Being clear upfront avoids difficult conversations later.
• Permitted days. How many days per year can an employee work from abroad? If the allowance is annual, clarify when the year resets, whether unused days carry over, and whether days are counted as calendar days or working days.
• Permitted countries. Not all countries can be treated equally from a payroll, tax, and employment law perspective. Your policy should either list permitted countries explicitly or explain the process by which a country can be approved. Countries where you already have a legal entity are usually the safest starting point; beyond that, your legal advisers can help you assess risk by jurisdiction.
• Notice and approval. How much notice does an employee need to give before a WFA trip, and who approves it? Some companies require a formal request for each trip; others operate on a notification basis, where employees inform their manager rather than ask for permission. Both approaches work; what matters is that the process is consistent.
• Tax and employment obligations. The policy should acknowledge that working abroad can create tax and social security obligations in the destination country, and make clear who is responsible for flagging this. Most employers require employees to confirm that they've checked the requirements for their destination before travelling; some exclude countries where the legal complexity is too high to manage. A brief note directing employees to seek guidance for trips over a certain length is appropriate.
• Time zone requirements. If your business has core working hours, your policy should set out any expectations around availability. This might be a simple requirement to overlap with the home office for a set number of hours per day, or it might specify a maximum number of hours' difference from the company's primary time zone.
• What's not covered. Clarify that WFA is for temporary trips, not a route to permanent relocation; that it doesn't affect pay or employment terms; and that it doesn't apply to personal travel that isn't pre-approved under the policy.

How to choose your WFA limit

The right number of WFA days depends on your business, your team structure, and how much administrative overhead you're willing to absorb. There's no universal standard, though 30 to 90 days per year covers the range most employers with formal WFA policies operate within.

A lower limit of 30 days is often a sensible starting point if you're introducing WFA for the first time. It's meaningful enough to be a genuine benefit, and short enough to keep the compliance considerations manageable. You can always increase it once you've seen how the policy works in practice.

A higher limit of 60 to 90 days is more attractive to candidates and signals a genuinely flexible culture, but it requires more robust guidance on tax obligations and a clearer process for managing country eligibility. Some businesses in this range choose to distinguish between a core list of pre-approved countries where any trip is straightforward, and a secondary list where approval depends on legal review.

Whatever limit you set, apply it consistently. Work from anywhere policies that are available in theory but only accessible to certain teams or seniority levels don't function as a benefit, they function as a source of friction.

What happens if someone exceeds the limit?

Your WFA policy should explain what happens if an employee works from abroad beyond their allowance, whether by accident or otherwise. Being clear about this protects both parties.

In practice, most employers handle this with a conversation first: if an employee asks to extend a trip beyond their allowance in a given year, the manager and HR can assess whether it's feasible rather than defaulting to an automatic no. But the policy should be clear that working beyond the agreed limit without approval isn't acceptable, and that any additional days are at the employer's discretion rather than an entitlement.

For trips that approach the thresholds where tax residency or social security obligations might arise in the destination country, it's worth building a flag into your approval process so that HR or your legal team can review before approval is given. Getting ahead of this is significantly easier than managing it after the fact.

How to communicate your WFA policy

A policy that exists but isn't well known doesn't function as a benefit. And many employers with WFA provisions lose much of the value because employees don't know the benefit is available, don't understand how to access it, or assume it's reserved for certain people.

Communicate WFA clearly in your employee handbook and on your intranet, with the policy document easy to find and written in plain language rather than legalese. Reference it in onboarding so new starters know from day one that it exists. Encourage managers to mention it proactively in team conversations about ways of working rather than waiting for employees to ask.

In recruitment, name it explicitly in job descriptions and on your careers page. "Work from anywhere" is a specific term that candidates search for, so listing it clearly makes your roles more findable to the people who value it most. Vague phrases like "we support flexible working" don't have the same effect.

How to use WFA to attract the best talent

WFA is most effective as a talent attraction tool when it's verifiable, not just stated. Candidates have become sceptical of benefits that aren't backed by detail, so a job ad that mentions WFA without explaining how it works, what the limit is, or which countries are covered can read as a marketing claim rather than a commitment.

This is where being specific pays off. Listing "30 days WFA per year, any country where we have a payroll entity" is more compelling than "flexible working options." It tells candidates exactly what they're getting and signals that the benefit has been properly thought through, which in turn signals something about how the company treats its people more broadly.

On Flexa, WFA is a verifiable benefit that sits within your employer profile alongside your other EVP data. The verification process means that candidates searching for WFA roles know the benefit is real, not self-reported; it's independently confirmed as part of how Flexa works. That distinction matters in a market where candidates have learned to check the detail behind benefit claims. Showcasing your WFA policy through Flexa puts your employer brand in front of the 75% of candidates who are actively searching for it, with the credibility that verification provides.