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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Lifestyle
Anita McSorley & Neil Shaw

Spain holiday hack as woman enjoys week-long trip without using any annual leave

A woman who went on a week-long holiday to Spain without using any annual leave has spilled her secret.

Amy Irvine, 27, spent a week soaking up the sun in Marbella in April, without having to take a single day off work.

As head of a digital PR company, her workplace has a policy allowing all employees to work anywhere in the world.

READ MORE: New Spain holiday rules for Irish tourists from drink limits to smoking bans

This meant Amy and her colleague Olivia Smith, also aged 27, were able to jet off to Spain.

The pair spent their days working from the balcony of their apartment, which was just a stone's throw from the beach, Wales Online reports.

During their lunch breaks, they were able to take a quick dip in the pool.

Then in the evenings Amy and Olivia headed out for dinner and drinks.

Amy Irvine with her friend Olivia Smith. (Amy Irvine / SWNS)

Amy, from Cumbria in England, explained that she has used the policy to take two other trips around the UK - Kielder Forest in Northumbria for her mum's 50th birthday and Whitby in the North East to extend a holiday - however this is the first time she's used it to venture abroad.

She said: "After Covid we realised that everyone could work from anywhere and it became a policy. If the job allows, then everyone should ask their boss if they can work remotely - and use the chance to head abroad. Chances are if you can work from home, you can work from Spain, France, anywhere with a similar timezone.

"I'd 100% recommend doing it - it's nice to get away, but not have to use up your holiday allowance.

"I just wanted to go and get some sunshine to be honest. I feel like it was so nice to have that change of scenery and work from anywhere.

"Maybe it would have been more stressful in the UK. The sunshine just makes everything better. We went for drinks and some tapas in the evenings and it made you feel like you're on holiday again - we even went to a beach club one evening.

"We went for a swim on our lunch breaks and it was so nice to wake up to sunshine and not the rain. It felt really surreal."

Amy enjoyed the sun in Marbella (@Amy Irvine)

Amy says the working holiday and new environment even helped with productivity. She said: "I definitely felt more productive and it increased motivation.

"It was nice to work with my colleague - who is usually in the London office - as well. I think if you work in a job where you can do that it's a really nice benefit and leads to a better work life balance."

Amy has also used the policy before for two trips within the UK she says other colleagues have gone as far as South Africa.

She says that she doesn't have any current plans for a future trip, but hopes to work abroad again in the summer and autumn months.

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