Following the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, and the curtailment of most international travel, many of us engaged in staycations when we wanted a break away from it all. We’re all familiar with the portmanteau ‘staycation’ (‘stay’ + ‘vacation’ – a stay in one’s own town or close to home), but have you heard of ‘workations’, and what they present for Employers and Employees?
Workations are one of the newest trends in the world of work and travel, first making its appearance in 2021. It is a portmanteau of the words ‘work’ and ‘vacation’ – taking a break away from the working environment, but not from the work itself. This could be by way of working from a laptop while on a tropical beach, or answering emails on a smartphone while in a hotel spa.
Workation presents itself as a way of enjoying the best of both worlds. For Employees, it is a break from routine and a change of scenery, while also keeping on top of work. For Employers, it is a way of increasing a workforce’s job satisfaction while enjoying continued productivity.
But is workationing a good thing? Does it come with any risks?
A New Working Trend
Many people moved to remote working during the pandemic. Prior to this, many Employers, as well as Employees didn’t think that remote working or working from home was feasible, but for many, it proved to be doable and surprisingly effective.
Now that it has been proven that many tasks can be done remotely, and that we don’t necessarily need to be tied to a specific working location to produce effective results, some Employers and Employees have continued working in this manner.
The lockdown isolation measures trained (and forced) many of us to change. Our homes were no longer simply the places we retreated to for rest and recuperation after a long day at work or school – they became our workplaces and our schools. We were unwittingly trained in the skills of ‘task switching’, ‘switching on’, and ‘switching off’ when necessary, with many of us becoming very good at it. Indeed, many Employees who initially balked at the idea of working from home, were quite displeased when informed that they would need to return to the office, particularly when they felt they could perform just as well remotely, without having a negative impact on their own well-being, or that of their Employer.
Having experienced ways to blend both worlds during lockdown, many Employees have a growing desire to work more flexibly, which has lent itself to the workation’s growing popularity.
Workations come with upsides, downsides and considerations that should be taken into account.
The Upsides
Attracting Young Talent
Gen Z individuals and younger Millennials who have grown up with the Internet and social media, are particularly drawn to the idea of workations. They are usually well versed in online communication and knowledgeable of what can be achieved remotely, and do not regard work locations as limitations to what they can produce. As such, many Employers looking to attract graduates and young talent have adopted ‘work from anywhere’ policies, allowing for workations and other forms of flexible working.
Employer Reputation
Continuing on from our last point, an Employer that embraces and accommodates workations can be seen as progressive. A progressive Employer is one that adapts to changes in the working world and labour market, and demonstrates trust in its Employees, while placing them, and their wellbeing, at the centre of their organisation’s operations, thereby enhancing job satisfaction and fostering loyalty.
Greater Creativity and Fresh Perspectives
Many of us know the phrase “A change is as good as a rest”, and we’re quite familiar with how much a change of scenery or a change of environment can rejuvenate and even inspire us. While many of us travel for rest and entertainment, travelling is also known to expand our minds and give us fresh eyes on old notions. Travelling and working in different places and with altered routines can help foster creativity. The departure from the familiar spaces and routines can also help us formulate new ideas and develop new perspectives.
The Downsides
Distractions
An Employee may set off on holiday with a firm objective to produce quality work, while also enjoying some rest, rejuvenation, quality time with loved ones, entertainment and adventure. However, there could be distractions that cause the Employee to be less motivated than they expected (an enticing white sand beach or powdery soft ski slopes), or unable to manage their time and attention (a noisy environment, family responsibilities, holiday activities scheduled during planned work hours). These could lead to lower productivity. Employees on workation may be tempted to work shorter hours or take longer breaks. Even with the best of intentions, a lack of control over external forces and environments will always be an inherent risk.
Boundaries
The Working Time Regulations govern working hours in the UK, to ensure that Employees have sufficient breaks to prevent burnout, stress and exhaustion. On this basis, Employers set boundaries for Employees with regards to working hours and resting hours. These boundaries would be almost impossible to maintain when an Employee is on holiday, blending work with rest. A holiday that includes work will provide some flexibility for the Employee, but it will likely deliver fewer benefits in terms of physical and mental recovery, than a complete absence from work.
Time Zones
Depending on where an Employee goes on holiday, there may be complications if they are in a different time zone to their Employer and colleagues. This can be combated by the Employer setting core ‘cross-over’ hours that work for both the workationing Employee and their workplace-based colleagues, but there remain limitations if the time zone difference is vast (i.e.: When 9.00am in London equates to 7.00pm in Sydney, Australia).
Legal Considerations
The Laws of The Destination Country
If an Employee is planning to workation abroad, they must keep in mind that some countries have restrictions on what visitors can and cannot do during their stay. Some countries’ lists of permitted activities will not include working remotely for an Employer back in their home country.
Workations For All?
When assigning important tasks, it is natural to seek out an Employee who is hardworking, committed and trustworthy, and to disregard Employees who are less than hardworking and less than trustworthy. As such, an Employer may be tempted to allow an Employee with a good track record to take a workation, but may feel uncomfortable with doing the same for an Employee with a poor record. However, allowing one Employee to take a workation while denying another could lead to claims of unlawful discrimination. Therefore, if an Employer plans to embrace the workation concept, it must recognise that it will need to make it available to all Employees across the board, or provide reasonable arguments as to why it may be an option to some Employees and not others.
Health & Safety
Employers have a duty to protect the health safety and welfare of their Employees, and this extends to providing a safe work environment and reducing risk, even for those working remotely. This is relatively simple when the remote environment is the Employee’s home, but it becomes far more complicated if an Employee is travelling abroad to an environment where neither they nor their Employer are in control. In this case, an Employer can provide guidance to the Employee for setting up a suitable workspace and carrying out their own risk assessment, though it must be made clear who is responsible for any problems that may arise therein.
Conclusion
In a post-pandemic climate where many of us have seen what can be achieved through remote working, the growing interest in workations signals a shift from the pursuit of work-life balance, to the more attainable work-life blending.
Workations can be a win-win for both parties, where Employees fulfil a desire for flexibility, and Employers enjoy the results of an engaged and satisfied workforce. It is vital, however, that any Employer considering the workation option is prepared to accommodate any potential complications that could arise from it.
The importance of complete breaks from work remains, to mitigate the effects of work-related stress, fatigue, anxiety and burnout. As such, workations should not replace actual holidays, but rather act as a complement to paid annual leave.
If you would like further advice on this topic, please do not hesitate to contact us.