With the increase in working from home and companies allowing their staff to work fully remote, it can sometimes feel like there is no escape from the work environment. Introducing the latest trend on the rise, the ‘Workcation’.
What is a Workcation?
A workcation is not like a normal vacation, it’s is exactly what is sounds like, a combination of work and a vacation, after all you are still expected to work.
The big plus is that you don’t need to take any vacation time off for the vacation part, unless you want more time than just the weekends and evenings off to explore and relax, that is.
What it does do, is allow you to change it up a bit, with a lot of people now working fully remote from home, it can make our fortress of solitude, feel a little more like a prison, (maybe that’s the illusion of freedom, flexibility), but if you are working from home all the time, why not make that home somewhere a little warmer or exotic for a week or two. After all, as long as the work is being done and you're still available during the same hours, what’s the difference? That’s a Workcation.
Workcations give you the chance to change the scenery for a short time, and this is a trend we are seeing amongst more and more employees post-pandemic globally, 65% of 5,500 respondents say they plan to extend a work trip into a leisure one, or vice versa, in 2022.
Andy Drane a senior equity partner at an Edinburgh-based corporate and communications law firm, said this of his recent workcation to the Lake District, “I was able to have some downtime in a glorious environment and also to fit into a different pattern of days; taking longer over lunch, breaking earlier and cooking dinner for family, taking them on a couple of day trips,” he says. “I certainly came back recharged and re-enthused.”
How does a Workcation work?
It’s pretty simple, you pack up your gear, head to wherever it is you want to go, and go. Provided you can work the same hours, do the same quality of work, and be available during work hours, then a workcation is the same as working from home, just in a different location.
Obviously you don’t want to go somewhere where the only things you can do happen in the daytime as most likely you will be working, but come the evenings and weekends you can go out and spend all the time with your family, friends or whoever you want or came with and enjoy it just like you would any normal vacation.
It’s really that simple.
Is a Workcation right for me?
Workcations can be a great way to enjoy the world whilst still being able to focus on your career, they also bring tons of benefits for your mental health, but do remember that you are still working and a workcation is not like a real one, so don’t expect it to be too relaxing if you plan to do a lot of touristy stuff while you are there.
Now workcations unfortunately aren’t for everybody, after all if you work in a role that doesn’t offer remote working of any kind, then it’s highly unlikely the boss is going to allow this, because it likely means you can’t do your job remotely.
However, if like the majority of employees in 2022 you are able to work remotely to some extent, then a workcation is something your boss will at the very least consider, but just make sure you do talk with your boss and check that they are OK with you doing it. Remember to reassure them that you will still be working as usual and have access to plenty of internet to be able to carry out your duties as normal.
What are the benefits of a Workcation?
Without stating the obvious benefits for the employee, of getting to work in a sunny location, drinking cocktails after work, rather than cleaning the house, there are actually a few other interesting benefits to a workcation, that don’t just relate to the employee, but also benefit the employer too.
Increase in productivity: 86% of employees said a workcation increased their productivity
Less likely to leave: 69% said less likely to quit after taking a workcation
More satisfied: 84% said they were more satisfied with their job after taking a workcation
Conclusion
Workcations can be a great way of recharging the batteries without taking precious vacation time off, they can also be a great way of attracting new talent if you offer it as part of the package and overall they just are a great way of keeping employees engaged and motivated to work for your organisation.
But beware the pitfalls, the more remote your team work, the harder it could be to maintain standards of work, build a company culture, and develop team bonding.
