Marketing & HRHow to effectively plan your workation

Do you want to go on vacation, but work doesn't let you go? Work is your option. This is a type of recreation that will allow you to devote time to both yourself and work. Moreover, thanks to the workshop, you can easily escape from the office and even from the city — and for this, you do not have to take a vacation.  

Interesting? Then now, our HR manager Aneta will tell you more in detail about what a workout is and how to organize a vacation without falling out of the workflow.

What does “workation” stands for?

“This is not a new holiday format at all. In America, it has been popular for quite some time. Of course, freelancers or people who only need a laptop to work could apply for it. They went to another city, worked during the day, and in the evening walked and rested.  

In 2012, major global companies practiced recreation on the verge of work and travel. However, it was organized a little differently. The team was sent to another city or country, and their employees could work and have fun. This is a unique type of team building.  

After the coronavirus pandemic came to the world, more people started working remotely. So, they had the opportunity to try working — and the format gained popularity again.”

A tip from Aneta:

Its main rules are very simple. First, you should not forget about work, because if you just put everything aside and constantly walk, you will get a vacation. You can't work all the time, either. If you work all day and then just sit at home, this is called remote work. Therefore, you need to find the perfect balance for a successful workshop.

What are the basic rules of workation?

“The idea of such a holiday is to change the image without compromising the workflow. Vacationers are advised to go to another city or even country — and set up a temporary workplace there.  

For example, in Poland, you can easily go to work in the mountains. Or is your life's dream to work under the sound of sea waves? Well, rather book tickets to Gdansk. The main thing is that there is wi-fi and rest does not interfere with work.  

In general, many people who practice work say that it is difficult to work when everything around you encourages rest. However, you should learn how to allocate your time properly.  

For example, in autumn and winter, in the evening in the mountains, it is dark and cold, so it is better to devote the morning to walks and sit down to work and close work issues after them.  

In general, it is not necessary to combine all 50% to 50% and half a day to rest and the second — to work. You can also work full-time and then give yourself up to rest. It all depends on the schedule and your agreements with the management.”

A tip from Aneta:

There are no restrictions on the duration of the workation. This can take several days, weeks, or months. The main thing is to go as far away from home and the office as possible, where you can gain new emotions and reboot.

How do I organize a workation?

“First, choose where you want to go. Think about where and how exactly you can work comfortably. Make sure that you can connect to wi-fi or meet other conditions required for work.

Second, adapt your schedule. Perhaps you will go to a country with a different time zone, or you want to spend all day traveling and the evening working. You should warn your colleagues and management about this so that rest does not interfere with your work process.  

Third, make a travel plan. Ideally, write down all your work tasks for the duration of the workshop and all your goals for recreation and travel so that you can do everything in time and remember everything.  

If the previous three points are completed, then all you have to do is choose a destination, book tickets and get a new experience of working on the verge of rest and travel.”

Housing for workation should not be chosen in the same way as for a regular vacation, right? What should I pay special attention to?

Exactly, it’s not. There are my key recommendations for choosing accommodation for your workation:

1. Internet speed

This is one of the most important selection criteria. It is worth finding out the internet speed from homeowners in advance. If they need to learn how to do this, you can send sites for verification, explain how to use them, and ask them to send you screenshots. If in doubt, you should find backup options in advance — where to run if there are problems with the internet. For example, find the nearest coworking space or other places with good Wi-Fi.

2. A sufficient number of jobs

This is important if you come to work with a company and from time to time there is a need to sit in different corners. After all, if someone has a video call with a client, and someone is giggling next to them, this is not very good.

3. Quality of job

It is worth thinking about how exactly you see a good workplace and looking for housing with similar options. In order to avoid sitting on a stool in the kitchen in the end, if you are used to working in a comfortable chair. For example, Airbnb has a "dedicated workspace" option, which should be noted when choosing a home.

How about communication with colleagues? Do you have any tips for this too?

If you and your colleagues have a big time difference due to work, it is important to warn them about what schedule you will work on and for how long. 

If you are a manager and you have a lot of regular meetings with the team, they should be postponed to a more convenient time for you (but also remember the comfort of colleagues). And if you have an irregular and not very important meeting in your plan, it is better to postpone it until the time you return home.

So that no one expects to "catch" you in the office, you can indicate in the status of a corporate messenger that you are now in a different place and are only available online.

By warning you about workings, you can count on your colleagues to understand that you won't be able to overwork. Of course, this is a question about the culture in the team, but usually, adequate people understand that when a person changes location for work, you should only expect quick answers from them during business hours.

And finally, who you wouldn’t recommend going on workation?

“ One of the most important criteria for working out is linking to an office or physical place of work. For example, there are IT specialists who work with hardware and need to be in the office. The doctor is also unlikely to allow himself a workshop. He's either on a full-fledged vacation or at work. 

The opportunity to go to the workshop also depends on the company. Although the pandemic has shown that 90% of work can be moved online, there are still businesses that need to be present in the office — in this case, it is better to first clarify how the company feels about this format of work. And if you have the opportunity to work from home and you successfully cope with it, then, most likely, you will be effective in any other place. 

Although it is worth warning about working, even if the company generally treats remote work positively — some organizations have lists of prohibited countries for work, staying in which is fraught with reputational risks, data leakage, deterioration of customer relations, and so on.”

TO GO… OR NOT TO GO?

Surrounded by new beautiful places, you are less likely to overwork. You plan your leisure time (what to see and do), which helps you avoid a plunge into the work with your head. And you also free yourself from a lot of routines: manicures, doctor visits, or a gym. That is, some household Urban Affairs abruptly disappear, and there is free time that can be spent on quality recreation.

Therefore, if there are no restrictions on the part of the company, but you are easily given remote work and in general, the idea of a robot pass response — work is worth a try. But it is very important to understand that work is still not a vacation. This is a change in the working image, but workation cannot replace a full-fledged vacation on vacation.