Workation: the way to make work and holidays coincide
New generations and new paradigms have resulted in the proliferation of new work models. Hence the birth of workation.
The rejection of traditional forms of work that go against a better work-life balance and against greater autonomy and flexibility has made younger workers turn to new ways of working.
This, of course, is made possible by technological advances that make it possible to work from anywhere in the world with a fast internet connection. But what is workation really about and which comes first: work or holiday? Is it possible to practise it in your company and to include it in your holiday management?
In this article, Appvizer takes you to explore this trend that became fashionable a few years ago and seems to be here to stay. Benefits, ways to make it possible and some best practices are on the agenda.
Let's get started.
What is workation and who does it?
Workation: meaning (definition)
The term workation is an anglicism that comes from the union of two words:
- Work - work,
- vacation - holiday.
It started to become popular as new ways of working emerged in an increasingly connected world and made it possible to mix work and leisure time in the same equation.
In English, some words equivalent to the term have already been proposed, such as trabacaciones or trabajaciones 😏 .
Who adopts this style of working?
Initially, the so-called digital nomads or people who, because of the type of work they do, can afford to be constantly on the move. Generally, digital nomads are:
- Freelancers. Self-employed or freelancers, characterised by:
- Constantly looking for new workspaces;
- are eager to develop their creativity;
- value the transfer of knowledge through interaction with other professionals.
- Workers who have found a job that does not require their physical presence in the office to fulfil their duties.
Nowadays, however, this working method has spread and has become accessible even to start-ups, which are looking for new ways to incentivise their employees by offering them greater flexibility.
Aspiring to workation becomes possible as long as the internet connection is assured and the necessary equipment to carry out the missions is available. Thus, working from a coworking space, a cafeteria or a library from anywhere in the world is no longer a fantasy!
Workation Spain: modalities
In Spain, this trend has become increasingly popular with the generalisation of teleworking and has led many cities such as Barcelona and Madrid, although they are not the only ones, to bet on the revitalisation of cities through the creation of adapted spaces.
The options that people have to do workation can consist of:
- Set up in luxury hotels, resorts or camps that offer:
- High-speed internet, business offices;
- office equipment such as monitors and printers;
- modern, well-lit workplaces;
- meeting rooms.
- Switch from the main residence to the secondary residence for remote working, as the latter is usually located in the countryside.
- Look for a residential offer that offers the comforts of a hotel, but makes you feel more "at home".
- Go further with coliving, a trend in which professionals with similar jobs and professions are grouped together to live together. This model is appealing to them because it allows them to be in creative places where the exchange of knowledge favours the emergence of new business ideas.
There are different ways of putting workation into practice and, as we said before, it depends on the person's working environment, whether they are employed by a company or are self-employed.
Nowadays, it is common for companies to have a flexible mobility plan in which the employee can work from different locations that he/she has chosen to indicate when signing the employment contract.
Benefits and challenges of workation
Working five hours a day in a work environment conducive to creativity is 17% more productive than working eight hours a day in a traditional environment.
Portal de empleo estadounidense Glassdoor.
Some of the advantages of workation for those who choose it include the following:
- It can enhance your personal well-being by allowing you to be in natural places and whose atmosphere is generally relaxing. This also results from the fact that it gives greater value to aspects of your life other than work, which are fundamental to your personal development.
- On a personal level, it helps you develop qualities such as discipline, organisation and creativity.
- It allows you to discover and explore new places and regions of the world.
- Since you are working, your balance of available holidays is not reduced, even if you are in a paradisiacal place.
- It contributes to the revival of tourism and to maintaining social interactions.
Despite the benefits of this modality, there are also those who point out its drawbacks. To avoid them, here are some tips to ensure an effective workation .
How to ensure effective workation ?
1. Establish a routine
Maintaining a work routine, with set times for both task execution and digital downtime, is the starting point. This allows you to keep up the good work pace and not completely disengage from your responsibility.
2. Prioritise your work
A good organisation of work is possible if, as soon as you define the objectives to be achieved, you make a list of tasks and classify them into:
- Immovable tasks: These are tasks that require urgent treatment and cannot be moved.
- Progress tasks: These are tasks whose execution can be extended throughout the day or week, as they are part of a long-term global objective.
- Rigorous tasks: These are those activities that are already mechanised and do not require greater effort to carry them out.
3. Plan everything you need
Choosing to leave in workation mode is not something that can be improvised. Make sure you plan in advance all the logistical aspects that will allow you to do it efficiently:
- Adapted spaces,
- effective communication channels,
- adequate technological infrastructure, etc.
4. Don't neglect rest
The fact that you are working from places that make you feel constantly on holiday can make you believe that you don't need to set aside time for relaxation. However, it is important that you define your own holiday schedule and times when you are truly disconnected from your work activity. Disconnecting from work is necessary to maintain motivation and increase productivity.
Well-being: the real trend in the workplace
It is clear that what people are demanding today is greater autonomy, independence and flexibility in the world of work. While the new generations are willing and have the energy to work tirelessly, they do not intend to do so to the detriment of their well-being and personal development. Hence the importance of the labour market evolving along with the mindset of the workforce.
🏖 Do you work as a freelancer, self-employed or are you part of a company that offers workation as part of its working modalities? Share your experience in the comments.
Article translated from Spanish