The other day I was scrolling through LinkedIn and I noticed a lot of ‘WORKATION’ headlines in people’s posts. I guess It’s becoming the new ‘normal’. Just as the word combines ‘work’ and ‘vacation’, it defines working and being on holiday at the same time. It allows people to see more from the world, while not having to take a long holiday, sabbatical or quit their jobs to travel. Why is this phenomena so uprising? Is a workation just another trend or is it here to stay? How does it work? Can I go on a workation? I’ll answer all of these questions in this post.
What is a workation?
Let’s start with the basics. What is a workation? A workation/worcation/workcation is simply combining traveling and working. Besides the hours you will work, there is also leisure time. The idea behind this concept is that you have the time to take a break in a different environment and continue working.
After searching around online, I still haven’t been able to figure out how much work one must do while being on their workation. This is different for everyone. Maybe some just need to stay available and others might even have to work more hours than they would usually do.
How did the workation suddenly became so popular?
2020 was a year of demolition. It destroyed a lot of lifes. The tourism industry got a hard blow on a world scale. And the economy went down. Let’s say it was not our best year.
But even the happening of Covid had its bright side. There were some positives that came from the pandemic. One advantage that it brought, was remote work.
Since 2020 we are no longer tied to our desks in an office from 9 to 5 (at least some of us). We were forced to work from home and we couldn’t travel across the world. Now that we know how to work remotely, it opened a whole new world.
The concept of workation is brought by the freedom that many of us got at work. Employees have proven they can work independent from wherever.
The technology has given us the opportunity that we can be attending a zoom meeting in our pyjama’s, in a café or even from the other side of the world.
Is a workation just another trend?
We cannot predict the future, but I think it’s very obvious that people value the concept of remote working. In my opinion it is the beginning of a new era. In actual fact, I don’t understand why a global pandemic was needed for the world to realise this possibility.
Let’s go on a workation ✈️
A workation is the perfect way to take a break from routine. For the people who need some adventure every once in a while, exploring the world while working is the ideal combination. However, it can be difficult to convince your peers or to find a fit destination. I think the first question you need to ask yourself is: ‘does my job offer the possibility to work remotely?’. If yes, consider wether the company you work for provides you to work abroad. If you simply don’t know, you can always ask!
What are the best places for a workation?
Workations can take place in almost every country where you would go on a holiday. Just keep in mind it’s not an actual traditional holiday, but a workation. Don’t forget that there is work that needs to be done. So there are a few things you need to take into account when looking for you dream destination:
- How is the time difference of the country you normally work from and the country you would travel to?
- Are the temperatures bearable and are you able to work?
Besides, you need to find a nice spot to do the actual work. Keep in mind that:
- You need a comfortable working spot;
- You will probably need good wifi;
- If you prefer to work in a quiet surrounding take into account that you look for something that offers this.
Family workation: How do I take my child on a workation?
I can imagine it can be a barrier to go on a workation when you have a kid to take of. Question might pop-up such as: Where do I take my kid during working hours?, Is the accommodation kid-friendly?, Is there a good day-care?, etcetera.
When I was searching for more information about workations, I discovered The Family Workation. The Family Workation is a program designed to help parents enjoy a location independent lifestyle with their children while they are working remotely. They provide all the logistics, including co-working and childcare.
The Family Workation seems like the perfect solution to take your kids on your workation, without having to stress about it.
Workation: yay or nay?
Are you considering going on a workation? Or do you rather work at home? I think both is cool. Did you ever go on a workation and what was your experience? Would be cool if you share your thought and knowledge with us in the comments!