A workation is a work-vacation hybrid; a phenomenon that combines work and leisure. You’re still knocking things off that to do list and moving the needle, but your free time is spent in vacation mode.
Workations have become a popular trend in the United States and Europe thanks to technologically advanced tools that have made it much easier to work remotely. According to research expert Ana M. López, a significant majority of American employees embarked on profitable workations in 2021, based on a December 2021 survey. Many respondents claimed that experiencing a workation helped to increase their overall productivity at work.
Thanks to this new trend, employees can now stay in the loop at work while spending some time on rest and play. All this without having to step out of their comfort zones.
There’s a clear distinction between workationing and merely working remotely. A remote employee is completely off-site and is permitted to work from wherever they’re located at. On the contrary, a workationer works remotely while on a trip away from an office.
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Pros of workationing
Here are some of the many reasons why companies should look into implementing workation policies for their workers:
Workationers are allowed to embark on longer periods away from the office than what a week vacation policy would allow. A well-planned workation allows employees to step away from the office scene to an entirely different environment which increases productivity, creativity and rekindles the joy of adventure.
It also gives workers the opportunity to be inspired by new sceneries, as opposed to just working in the same place every day. Employees offering knowledge-based services can also explore different environments that can influence how they carry out the work they do.
Workations are particularly beneficial to people who juggle busy and free working hours—rather than spending free hours at the office desk, they can maximize these periods for travel while doing the bulk of their work during the busy hours. Utilizing free hours for leisure particularly helps to refuel the body in anticipation for the tasks ahead.
A workation can actually be cost effective for the business too. There have been studies that show that it reduces health concerns and sick time as well as the use of office space and supplies. It’s mutually beneficial.
Cons of workationing
Striking the balance between work and leisure can be an uphill battle, and many times it’s difficult to set boundaries. As a result, employees run the risk of not enjoying their workation as they should.
It takes a high level of discipline to stick to a work routine, especially in an environment that is not designated for office work. In the case where there is no accountability structure in place, workers may end up spending more time out of work.
