By Dr. Kandis Y. Wyatt, PMP
Faculty Member, Transportation and Logistics
When I was growing up, vacations were a special time in my family because we left behind the daily hustle and bustle and found a time and place to relax. We usually visited relatives or a kid-friendly destination, and there was no mention of work or school for days or even weeks.
Now in 2022, vacations look a lot different. Remote work is a reality for many employees, and the line between work and home responsibilities has become blurred. For many people, a typical remote workday can include washing clothes in the middle of a seminar, preparing a meal while chatting online, or taking a late lunch to go and pick up the kids from school.
The same blurred line has occurred between remote work and vacation. A workcation combines these two worlds, but not everyone is a fan of this practice.
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What Is a Workcation?
A workcation essentially combines work and vacation. You can work remotely at the destination of your choice and enjoy activities normally reserved for an actual holiday at the same time.
For many people, working remote is relatively easy and merely involves setting up a workstation at your favorite travel destination. A laptop or tablet computer and a reliable internet connection is all you need.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies have developed ways for employees to have online access to work products and to-do lists. As a result, it doesn’t matter if that employee performs remote work 30 miles away or three countries away.
Now, more and more people are opting for workcation packages to exotic locations, such as Aruba, Tahiti, and the Cayman Islands. In addition to going to socially distanced outdoor events with a small cadre of close friends, some workers are opting for a longer family vacation if it can be merged with work responsibilities.
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Why Are Workcations Beneficial?
A workcation can be beneficial in many ways. For instance:
- Workcations help employees stay connected for important meetings and activities. For example, if a birthday celebration at a special location coincides with the due date for a quarterly report, an employee may have felt guilty in the past for choosing one over the other. However, a workcation allows both work and social events to be combined.
- Workcations benefit the travel and tourism industry. With governments lifting international travel restrictions in some areas and fewer people traveling on average, more people are flying to international locations. On average, more than eight million people fly every day. Likewise, resorts are able to offer flexible packages to individuals, groups, and families who can visit year-round, during the week, and even during off-peak seasons.
- Workcations improve employee morale. The majority of the United States has experienced remote work at home for over 20 months, so a workcation provides a restful change of scenery.
- Workcations encourage employees to take a break. According to a 2017 Greater Good magazine article, Americans have been taking less and less vacation over the last 15 years. In general, you receive more days off (personal time office, annual leave and sick leave) the longer you work at a company.
- Workcations improve employee performance by enabling employees to better enjoy their time off. Greater Good notes, “Ironically, while Americans may pride themselves on their hard work and dedication, research suggests that we will actually work harder, perform better, and have greater health, stamina, and enthusiasm for our work if we take time off.”
- A workcation can be a useful way to retain current employees. Several companies have used the workcation as a form of recruiting to retain top employees.
- Workcations contribute to employee health. Taking a workcation provides health benefits to employees, including more energy and less stress. With the current lack of division between home and work, people are more stressed and exhausted. Over time, a lack of downtime can snowball into overwork and exhaustion, but a workcation can be helpful in encouraging employees to properly use their downtime.
- A workcation encourages workaholics to take a much-needed break. For workaholics, a workcation enables an employee to stay somewhat connected to their coworkers. In addition, a workcation encourages the use of downtime and lessens the symptoms of burnout, which can impact employee well-being and productivity.
Workcations Are Becoming Popular with Some Employers
Some employers, such as GoCardless, have approved combining work and living abroad for up to 90 days. As a result, workcations were 2020’s biggest travel trend, with major hotel chains like Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt implementing work-from-hotel programs. The packages these hospitality organizations offer range from an all-inclusive resort type of package where meals, activities, and amenities are included to more business-like activities where customers have access to printers, scanners, and fax machines.
Other organizations like HubSpot are also merging work and vacation time. HubSpot has implemented a 90-day workcation policy, which allows employees to combine being abroad and working at the same time. As long as an employee can adjust to the time change, that employee can live in another country for up to three months and still get paid.
Workcations Are Helpful for the Travel Industry
Workcations are definitely on the rise, which is a win for the travel industry that has been adversely affected due to the lack of travelers. According to travel search engine KAYAK, over a third of Gen Z workers in Canada are planning for a change of scenery and will take advantage of a workcation this year.
Likewise, hotels and resorts want to attract workcation-minded individuals and have created day, stay, and play passes. Day passes are designed for individuals who need a peaceful location to complete assignments; they offer dedicated spaces for working and studying. In some cases, an executive assistant is even provided to the customer.
Stay passes can be for an individual, a family or a business group. These passes can include overnight stays, discounts for hotel meals, and access to resort amenities such as the spa, gym, or pool. Play passes are all-inclusive resort packages, geared toward families and larger groups where all amenities are included in the stay.
A Workcation Can Be Fun, But It’s Essential to Use It Correctly
Although a workcation offers a greater opportunity for fun, there may be some downsides to it as well. You are essentially telling your employer that you don’t need 100% downtime and that a mix of work and vacation is acceptable.
As a result, it’s harder to clock in and clock out, and you may be asked to complete tasks during non-work hours. This need may have the opposite effect of rest and relaxation because you are never truly disconnected from work.
Instead of rest and relaxation, you may end up working more hours, which can ultimately lead to burnout. Likewise, it may be harder to request a true vacation in the future where you totally disconnect if an employer gets accustomed to being able to contact you at any time.
Another consideration is being less visible to your employer by working remotely. Often, employees are concerned they will decrease their chances of a promotion or recognition if they are away for an extended period of time.
There’s also the trust factor involved in a workcation. How do you communicate to your supervisor that you are working for eight continuous hours when you are on the beach? Also, how do you record work hours if you are working from a resort location and mixing work and play during the day?
Having a choice of work location is now an important factor for many job seekers as they search for a better work-life balance and improved health. So if you are interested in changing up your quarantine routine, a workcation may be a solution to your problem.
The workcation is not a “one size fit all” solution, but it may be a safe, short-term fix for employees who desperately need a change of scenery. For some, the idea of working while away on a family trip sounds like a raw deal. However, the benefit of a workcation is that you can spend more time at a pleasant location and have more flexibility to rest and unwind after work.
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