A recent survey from leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK shows a big upwards trend in the number of mid-market businesses that allow UK based employees to take ‘Workcations’ – meaning that employees by their own choice, work remotely from other countries for agreed periods of time.
The study* asked 600 UK business leaders about their firm’s approach to international remote working, finding that the number of businesses with a policy in place to manage the process for this had increased from 59% in 2023 to 77% in 2025.
Nearly all (99%) businesses with a policy in place said they allow employees to work abroad, but subject to specific approval or within set parameters – this represents a 7% increase since 2023 (92%).
Businesses are also becoming increasingly savvy when it comes to mitigating the tax compliance risks that come with allowing ‘workcations’.
In 2023, Grant Thornton’s study found that nearly a third of employers (30%) who allowed international remote working were not tracking where and for how long individuals were working abroad. This presented a high risk of serious tax compliance issues should overseas authorities identify any errors, for example costly penalties and filing obligations.
In 2025, this figure has reduced to just 2%, suggesting that businesses have invested in monitoring and compliance processes and programmes to mitigate risks.
Davyd Fisher, Global Mobility Services Partner at Grant Thornton UK, says:
“Enabling employees to work internationally benefits both staff and businesses—expanding talent pools, reducing costs, and boosting flexibility and retention. UK employers are increasingly leveraging global mobility as a competitive edge, though evolving tax and compliance rules remain a challenge.
“As hybrid and remote work models continue to mature, ‘workcations’ are becoming more structured and strategic. The most successful organisations will treat international remote working not just as a perk, but as a core part of their workforce strategy—balancing flexibility with compliance and business needs.”
