Half of workers plan to extend a holiday by working remotely in 2026, finds IWG
Vancouver has placed fifth on IWG's 2026 Work from Anywhere Index, the only Canadian city to make the flexible workspace provider's global top 10 for remote work and travel.
The annual index ranks cities against a range of criteria designed to assess how well they support remote working while travelling, including climate, broadband speed, accommodation, transport, food, culture and the availability of flexible workspaces.
Vancouver scored highly for proximity to mountains, national parks, beaches (9.5), sustainability (9), availability of flexible workspaces (9), broadband (8.5), and safety (8).
Top 10 cities for workcations
According to the company, the 10 cities are:
- Bangkok
- Tokyo
- Barcelona
- Porto
- Vancouver
- Budapest
- Naples
- Medellin
- Lisbon
- Seoul
More than half (51 per cent) of workers say their employer already offers a work-from-anywhere policy, with 90 per cent reporting improved work-life balance and 80 per cent reporting improved productivity. Eighty per cent said such a policy would make a new role more attractive, and 62 per cent would consider switching jobs for a better one, IWG said.
IWG also found that 38 per cent of workers cite access to flexible workspace as key when choosing a remote-work destination.
Leaders with narcissistic personality traits are significantly more likely to resist remote and hybrid work arrangements, according to a previous report.
Flexibility, wellbeing and cost pressures
IWG also found that 48 per cent of workers plan to extend a holiday by working remotely in 2026, and 46 per cent are more likely to do so than last year. Over two in five (43 per cent) have already done so without using annual leave.
Avoiding burnout was the top motivator, cited by 54 per cent, followed by family time (53 per cent) and stretching annual leave (52 per cent).
Cost of living is also a factor: 51 per cent say it has made them more likely to use hybrid or WFA arrangements to extend holidays, IWG noted.
Connectivity and guidance gap
Reliable Wi-Fi was the top destination priority, cited by 38 per cent, ahead of accommodation, food and transport at 12 per cent each, IWG said. More affordable travel and accommodation would motivate 46 per cent to extend a remote-work trip.
Also, many employees still want reassurance from employers: 44 per cent said knowing a trip wouldn't affect how their work is perceived would motivate them, and 39 per cent cited a need for clearer guidance.
Mark Dixon, executive chairman and founder of IWG, said that with hybrid working and cloud technology, “employees now have the freedom to work wherever and whenever suits them best – whether that’s a local flexible workspace or a co-working centre on the other side of the world”.
He added: “For many, the days of long daily commutes are over, and there is more freedom to work in new locations.
“This trend is here to stay, with many companies adopting flexible working and WFA policies, particularly over the summer months for the long term, which not only improves work-life balance and reduces burnout but also delivers significant productivity gains.”
A previous study found that Canadian employers are offering flexible work options at rates up to 10 times lower than the worker demand.
