In the world of work, more and more ways are being put into practice to enhance employee performance, combining it with new ways of understanding work. And this is usually achieved by improving both their conditions and their experience during the work day.
Workation is one of the new work modalities with which many people around the world see both their performance and their well-being increased by working in vacation contexts, using strategies so that, on the one hand, they can organize themselves better and improve their productivity, and on the other, this fusion between work and leisure don’t cause them problems. It is not about having less vacation time and dedicating part of it to work, but about integrating work and leisure hours in a different and more organic way.
If you want to know in depth this new way of vacationing from work, keep reading; Here we will explain the essential concepts of workation, as well as its advantages and disadvantages.
Workation is an increasingly popular type of work, especially in the business field, which consists of incorporate vacations into the workday with the aim of increasing your productivity and personal well-being by not subjecting people to the pressure of preparing a vacation of total disconnection. And, although it is often not talked about, in some jobs going on vacation can mean extra work during the previous days, and greater exposure to stress.
It is an Anglo-Saxon term product of the union between the words “work” (work) and “vacation” (vacation), so It could be considered a vacation job or a vacation that we take during the work day
Workation has been used in numerous organizations and transnational companies around the world and its benefits have been demonstrated both in improving employee productivity and in improving their general well-being and mental health.
There are many types of workation, and today there are increasingly more inventive and diverse ways of integrating vacations with work that both companies and their employees find.
Workation modalities
There are several ways in which companies and workers put this form of work into practice; the most common is the one practiced by the so-called “digital nomads” self-employed workers who settle for relatively long periods of time in another country to work in a new environment.
The way in which companies enable workation can be based on offering team building days or workation camps organized in vacation destinations, where their employees can enjoy a relaxing vacation while working in the hotel or other settings.
On the other hand, a more conventional version of korkation involves redistribute vacation days by making them more, and including very short periods of work on some of those days For example: working from 10 to 11 am to resolve questions from the rest of the team, address incidents, leave instructions about tasks to do for team members, etc.
We can also find a somewhat more radical practice in some companies, which consists of moving their offices to beach or mountain vacation spots for several weeks, which is a great incentive for their employees to work better and make the interest in remaining in the organization increases, assuming a talent retention mechanism.
Advantages of workation
There are many advantages of this work practice for the employee, below we will briefly summarize the most important ones on a psychological level.
1. New environment
The new environment in which the employee will work is a real incentive and a boost of energy that helps him to bring out the best in himself to fully commit to his work obligations.
A change of scenery is always appreciated, especially in repetitive jobs in which one must concentrate and make every effort to make everything go well, and working in a vacation or leisure environment is always more rewarding than doing it in an office.
Likewise, working in a new city or country also offers the possibility of getting to know new cultures, different people and relaxing in paradisiacal places to gain strength during rest hours.
2. Improvement of personal well-being in the face of work stress
As indicated, working in a place other than usual means a real boost for both the employee’s energies and their self-esteem, psychological state and general well-being especially if the strategy involves spending more time outside the office.
As has been proven countless times, a person who works in better conditions will also be happier and perform better in the workplace.
3. Disconnection
The possibility of being on vacation while working also allows us to disconnect to a greater extent than if we were in our usual place of work; Although it may seem counterintuitive, “mixing work and vacation,” if done well, helps us forget about work and stop worrying about whether we have left something unattended
The possibility of getting to know new environments and being able to enjoy a vacation environment or days off also has a positive influence on the employee’s health.
4. Improved productivity
Improved productivity is, as indicated, one of the most visible advantages offered by the implementation of workation, something that positively influences both the worker and the company.
That is one of the reasons why more and more companies and organizations use this work strategy that is so useful and positive for everyone.
Some of the main drawbacks when working in the workation mode are the following.
1. Distractions
Distractions are the main drawback that we can find in the workation mode, since when we are in a vacation environment There are many times when one is tempted to go out for a walk on the beach or do any leisure activity
Likewise, some workers may have difficulty concentrating when they are in a new work environment to which they are not accustomed.
To overcome all these temptations, it is recommended to prioritize work over rest and first fulfill all work obligations to which one is committed.
2. Difficulty of adaptation
The same way, It may also happen that some employees have certain difficulties adapting to the new environment either because they are used to their usual workplace or because they cannot concentrate or organize themselves correctly in the new situation.
Adaptation difficulties are common and perfectly normal in workation situations, so it is recommended not to worry too much and try to enjoy the new experience as much as possible.
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