Workations: Why and How to Make Them Happen!

5 min read |

Last Updated on 17 May 2024

You've probably heard of vacations or even sabbaticals. But have you ever heard of a workation?

A workation is when you take your career on the road and live out of a hotel room for a while, all the while working remotely enjoying the luxury you had desired.

Workationing was a growing trend in the digital nomad community. But since 2020, it is definitely on the rise all over the world. When work from home was further extended, the popularity of this trend skyrocketed.

A Gartner survey revealed that 82% of employers plan to allow employees to work remotely permanently.

This means that you can now work from anywhere in the world as long as you have a good internet connection. But first, let’s get down to the basics.

Workation Meaning

The word “workation” is not yet in the dictionary. However, its meaning is pretty simple.

It is like a vacation, but you stay in one place, and you work. The word vacation means rest and relaxation, so a workation is not really a vacation. You simply use your vacation time to explore the benefits of working remotely in a different location.

It also comes under remote working but there lies a thin difference between the two. Remote workers are often based at home, either permanently or for a substantial period of time. Workation allows you to take trips to any place and set up a temporary workplace, giving you the freedom to be digital nomads.

For the past few years, the trend of the workation has quietly built momentum. The idea is simple but powerful. Workations combine the best parts of remote work and travel, so you can escape while still earning a living.

Types of Workation

There are different types of workations, but one thing they all have in common is that you’ll get to work remotely from somewhere exotic.

1. Group Workation

Group_workation

Source: Pexels

Sometimes employers organize a workation for a small group of employees. They plan out the destination and all other arrangements for the workation. It typically lasts a few days to a week, but no longer than that.

Another option is to look for specialized vendors who deal with organizing such workations. They pool in people for a coworking retreat by allowing them to indulge in various activities and work on their jobs at the same time.

Here is a list of international workation programs:

2. Solo Workation

solo_workation

Source: Pexels

Employees can also go for a workation all by themselves or with their friends/family. It will give them the flexibility to organize their stay as per their preferences. Employees will have the freedom to spend their free time as they like.

The only drawback is, they need to make all the arrangements by themselves and deal with any inconvenience that may arise.

Advantages of Workation

According to a Stanford University study, digital nomads are 13% more productive than their office-bound peers.

Needless to say, the benefits of workation are self-evident. Here are some of them:

It is an excellent option for people working in a creative profession. It gives them a break from the monotony, which is needed for new inspirations or creativity.
It reduces stress by allowing you to work in tranquility as opposed to a crowded office space.Employees get the opportunity to meet new people and learn about new cultures and countries.
It helps them grow both professionally and personally.It makes an employee diverse and tolerant towards various cultures, identities, and ethnicities.
It can be a compelling way to attract new talent.Employers no longer have to worry about the work gap when employees go on vacation.

Disadvantages of Workation

There are mixed opinions on the workation culture. Some people are all for it, while some are against it.

Many people use workations to enjoy themselves, but others find that they can save money by forgoing rent and bills back home. The challenge is in getting your work done while you're away.

Let’s look at some of the cons that this work arrangement brings:

The lines between work and personal life have blurred. Combining work and leisure always does not work for everyone. Some might not be able to enjoy themselves even though they are on a workation. This can impact their work-life balance.
It is not for everyone. It depends on the nature of their job and work-setting preferences. For example, a podcaster will require a sound and echo-proof work setting.
The workation cannot be in a very remote area where internet connectivity is poor.
There are additional expenses like conveyance, food, and accommodation as compared to WFH.

Planning A Workation For Your Employees

The importance of a work-life balance is more important than ever, as today’s workforce has become increasingly demanding.

A workation is the perfect way to keep up your employee motivation as they will get a break from their routine life. You can give your employees a workation that they will never forget.

Here are the things to keep in mind if you are planning a workation for your employees.

It is best to keep the workcation within your country. International travel can bring additional worries of work visas, language barriers, cultural differences, etc.
Keep the working vacation time for a maximum of a week or two.
Make sure they have all the tools ready for their workation. If not, organize all the technical requirements such as laptops, global Wi-Fi hotspots, etc.
Prepare clearly defined goals and carry out regular meetings.
Notify your employees about the working vacation and vacation destination fairly ahead of time to prepare for the trip. If they will be going on a solo workation, they must also inform their managers.

Final Note

Taking a break from work to travel can be a great way to recharge your batteries and gain a new perspective on things.

More and more people are escaping the daily grind and escaping to somewhere new where they can work remotely while enjoying a vacation. As the concept of workation is still in its infancy, there are no set norms when it comes to the specifics.

For some, it may be a full-fledged office with meeting rooms, desks, and telephones. For others, it may be just a desk or table with an internet connection and some privacy. The point is, the workation is not defined by the type of work that you do, but rather, how you choose to do it.

Thadoi Thangjam is a Digital Marketing Executive at Vantage Circle. When she’s not geeking out over content strategies, she is probably hunting for the next perfect track to add to her playlist. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com