💵 Hybrid workers earn more than remote and office peers

Happy New Year,

Here's wishing you can have all the work location flexibility you'd like in 2023. And if that's looking unlikely for you, check out our Jobs page.

Need to know

• Average earnings are highest for hybrid workers. According to WFH Research's December updates, those who work remotely 3-4 days per week tend to have higher earnings than all other peers. The study didn't indicate causation, so we're left to speculate whether a hybrid arrangement impacts pay, or if those in higher-paying jobs simply have more power to choose where they work from. Since we know most remote workers prefer a hybrid approach when given a choice, I'm leaning toward the latter.

• Microsoft and Meta are teaming up to enable VR employee connectivity. This means people can connect with their coworkers from anywhere in a virtual reality environment, and easily access 2D content within that environment (think PowerPoint, Word, etc.). If this becomes anything close to normal, it could drastically improve remote work policies.

• The most common benefit of remote work is flexibility in how time is spent. Buffer has reported on the State of Remote Work since before the pandemic, and as we go into the new year it's appropriate to revisit their most recent one, with these insights and many more. After 67% of people surveyed cited time flexibility as a benefit of remote work, 62% said work location flexibility was a key benefit, followed by 59% saving time from a commute and 55% able to choose their residential location.

Elsewhere

• The cities where female digital nomads feel most safe (Reddit)

• 5 employment trends that will shape the workplace in 2023 (Fast Company)

• How remote work will give my autistic son a better future (Insider)

• The dream of an 'internet country' that would let you work from anywhere (TIME)

• 🎙 The unintended consequences of working from home (Freakonomics Podcast)

Looking forward to working remotely from new cities this year. To stay productive on "workcations" I've used The Xebec Tri-Screen, but do any of you have positive experiences with other portable external monitors?

I might need to test a few or at least share some higher-rated alternatives from readers.

To better work and more adventures in 2023! 🎉

Cheers,
Grant