Time to work and play: Is workcation the next extension of hybrid working?

Sipping an ice-cold beverage off the picturesque beach of Bali, you pick up your laptop to send an email update on that important work project you are working on.

With hybrid working still an option for many employees, will this scenario soon be a widespread reality? According to new research by the International Workplace Group (IWG), 74% of employees view a ‘work from anywhere policy’ as a significant factor when considering a new job offer, with the same number saying that the freedom of being able to work from anywhere boosts their job satisfaction.

More pertinently, more than four in five (84%) hybrid employees have, or would consider, extending a holiday to work remotely from their chosen destination.

“Technology has now made it possible for employees to work productively and effectively from anywhere that has a high-quality internet connection. The office is no longer a physical place but is in the cloud.” – Paul MacAndrew, Regional Senior Vice-President, Asia Pacific, IWG

Paul MacAndrew, Regional Senior Vice-President, Asia Pacific, IWG, told HRM Asia, “Technology has now made it possible for employees to work productively and effectively from anywhere that has a high-quality internet connection. The office is no longer a physical place but is in the cloud. As a result, workcations are becoming extremely popular and we are seeing significant increases in customers using our locations across multiple countries.”

For workcations to succeed however, employees must create clear boundaries between their professional and personal lives. MacAndrew explained, “Boundaries were somewhat blurred during the pandemic since work from home was the default for many, but now employees are finding that it’s possible to have a better balance, and having access to flex and hybrid spaces in multiple locations across the globe makes this possible.”

READ MORE: Art, science and effective hybrid workplaces

As more organisations and employees embrace the growing trend of working from anywhere, he recommended some key steps to take to ensure a successful workcation.

1.   Establish a clear policy: Organisations should set clear parameters for employees on workcations to follow. For example, they must be explicit about where and for how long employees are allowed to work remotely aboard, although some organisations have removed all restrictions entirely, allowing their teams to truly work from anywhere. This could involve keeping travel within the same or a neighbouring region as employees’ home base, thereby avoiding significant time zone challenges.

2.  Take steps to support asynchronous working: Implement processes and technology tools to facilitate asynchronous communication, run meetings with remote teams more efficiently, and improve the timelines of employees’ work output.

3.  Ensure the right paperwork is in place: This is to ensure that employees entering a country on a tourist visa can engage in work locally. In general, problems are less likely to occur if an employee has obtained a digital nomad visa or a working holiday visa for the country where they intend to do a workcation.

4.  Prioritise flexible work locations that are conducive: Employers can encourage employees to work from flexible workspaces to maximise productivity on workcations. This approach ensures that work quality remains high, even when working in different locations or time zones altogether. At the same time, a designated workspace could help employees separate work and downtime, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of a workcation.