HONOLULU (KHON2) — Working from home changed how businesses operate and how employees do their job.
KHON2 spoke to some local digital nomads to learn about their work.
A digital nomad usually moves from place to place while working virtually for a company that is based somewhere else. Hawaii presents unique geographical challenges to this model, especially if the company is based on the East Coast.
One Kailua resident with a New York consulting job deals with those challenges on a daily basis.
“Generally wake up around 5 most days, sometimes if there’s an early call, might be 4 a.m., summers are tougher because of the time difference versus East Coast and six hours, winter is a little bit easier,” said Alexey Loganchuk, strategy consultant with a New York private equity firm.
Starting early means ending early though, which is perfect for when kids get off school.
“And so there’s this natural gap that opens up for family time,” Loganchuk said, “something that is just, I mean it’s priceless!
He added that having his daughter in school does tie him to the Islands.
“So, I am not quite nomadic, but I do think I have, I benefit from the same macro trends in terms of there being flexibility around just not having to be in an office all the time and be able to work remotely,” Loganchuk said.
Those who have lived in Hawaii for a while are finding benefits as well; 50-year-old Kaneohe resident Andy Kauffman began working for a San Francisco technology consulting company during the pandemic.
“I do consider myself a nomad because while I live here and have lived here and will live here for the rest of my life, I don’t have to work in Hawaii,” Kauffman said.
Technically my money comes from, from the West Coast, but I live here. We buy gas here. We buy all our groceries here. You know, we go out to dinner here.”
Andy Kauffman, San Francisco service desk engineer / Kaneohe resident
Kauffman said pay for San Francisco’s information technology workers is typically higher than the islands, but the local economy sees the benefit.
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“We want to support the economy of Hawaii as much as we can because this is our home,” Kauffman said.
