More and more companies are offering workation for their employees. In an interview, an expert gives tips on planning and organization.
Would you like a change of scenery and a little variety from your everyday work routine? Then workation could be exactly the right thing – i.e. working from places where others go on vacation. The working model is becoming increasingly popular, especially because it can help achieve a better work-life balance and many people want to get out of their rut. But if you want to work abroad for a few weeks or even months, you have to consider a few important points. This starts with the organization and ends with legal contracts. Anne-Katrin Schwanitz, one of the authors of the Haufe Bag Guide “Workation” and Head of Corporate Communications & Marketing, summarized the most important tips in an interview with the news agency spot on news.
The term “workation” is being heard more and more frequently. Is this form of working currently becoming a trend?
Anne-Katrin Schwanitz: Just as home office as a form of mobile working has become increasingly important since Corona at the latest, workation as a new form of combining work and vacation has become an attractive option for employees and employers. Employees value Workation because it allows them to work from abroad – something that was previously only reserved for people sent by the company (so-called expatriates). For employers, in turn, the offer of workation proves to be a benefit option and thus an incentive to increase their attractiveness to potential and existing employees.
Generation Z in particular wants this form of work more. According to the Randstad Work Barometer 2023, 64 percent of Gen Z hope that their employer will give them the option of workation.
However, there aren’t that many companies yet that offer workation in an institutionalized way, so to speak. Only eight percent of employers agree with Gen Z’s wishes, according to the Randstad-ifo HR Manager Survey 2023. The bureaucratic effort is too great for many companies, but as more and more is becoming known about the legal framework and specialist literature is now available, the topic is becoming more and more important certainly becoming more and more interesting and tangible for employers.
How many people are currently using Workation?
Schwanitz: It’s difficult to define this precisely in numbers because the terms are sometimes blurred in companies and, for example, remote work can include all forms of mobile working. However, according to a 2023 survey by the ADAC among 5,000 people, one in ten people has already used Workation or is able to do Workation. However, it must also be clear that the opportunity to do a workation does not automatically mean that everyone can or wants to take advantage of it.
At what stage of life or at what age is workation best suited?
Schwanitz: Workation is ideal for every phase of life and at every age in order to have a change from everyday life. It offers the opportunity for a change of scenery or, for example, to be able to spend longer in a place other than the home office or office during the children’s long summer holidays. However, we observe – also based on the feedback from the companies we advise on workation – that this option is primarily used by people who are not yet or no longer tied to family. Because children are required to go to school, the time available for work trips is limited and anyone who wants to travel during the holidays has to pay accordingly.
We have heard from some companies that there are team workations, for example to advance a project in a concerted manner in a pleasant atmosphere and in another location that promotes creativity.
Which countries are currently particularly popular and suitable for workation?
Schwanitz: Since work is carried out at a workation, the place of work must offer good infrastructure that enables remote working, such as a stable and good internet connection. Places where the sun guarantee is high are popular. For example, in surveys from 2023 in Europe, the Spanish cities of Valencia, Barcelona and Madrid are in the top 5, as are the Portuguese cities of Lisbon and Porto. In addition to many hours of sunshine, these places also offer numerous so-called co-working spaces, i.e. rooms where the conditions for mobile working have been created.
Thailand is in first place worldwide according to the TUI Workation Index 2023. Thailand is also often at the top of surveys among countries with lots of hours of sunshine and a high number of co-working spaces. The cost of living in Thailand is comparatively low, which also makes the country an attractive travel destination, especially for families.
Ultimately, however, it largely depends on whether your employer allows you to work in Europe and outside Europe.
Which areas must be legally clarified in each case?
Schwanitz: Depending on how long a workation may last, all four areas of law – residence law, labor law, social security law and tax law – must be examined and contractually secured. As soon as national borders are crossed, these legal areas must be considered.
How do I clarify this with my employer?
Schwanitz: First of all, you should ask whether something like this is even possible, because it is something the employee initiated themselves. In the case of a posting, the work abroad is carried out by the employing organization. This means that employees have completely different levers than in a workation. In the best case, there are company guidelines to check in advance whether the requirements for work at location XY can be met.
A workation should never be undertaken without the consent of the employing party. According to the law, this determines the place of work. Anyone who does not ask for permission to change their place of work is at least violating their duty of care and risking a warning. Open and clear communication is always recommended.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Workation?
Schwanitz: Workation brings many advantages for employees. It makes it possible to balance work and relaxation and can provide new perspectives and ideas for one’s own work. Workation also helps many working parents to bridge the many long vacation periods of their school-age children without having to use up all of their annual vacation. This form of work offers health benefits as it can be less stressful to work from somewhere else without giving up your job straight away. It is also a paid alternative to a sabbatical and promotes intercultural and linguistic skills.
Employers thereby support employees’ work-life balance, which increases their satisfaction and motivation and thus leads to increased productivity. It can also help with employee retention and acquisition and offers a recruiting advantage in the “war of talent”.
However, organizational and structural challenges can arise for both employees and employers. Remote work can be challenging when employees are in different time zones. It can put relationships with other employees to the test, online meetings can be stressful and the phenomenon of proximity bias can occur. This occurs when we unconsciously tend to perceive and evaluate people who are in our immediate vicinity more positively. This can then lead to people in the immediate environment being favored and those who work abroad possibly being excluded or neglected.
Mobile working can also mean that you have less personal contact with other employees. In some areas of the company, mobile working is generally not possible, which can create a feeling of disadvantage.
How do I manage to separate work and vacation or free time?
Schwanitz: Work certainly requires a certain amount of self-discipline. Coworking spaces can help you focus on working hours away from your family. In general, we recommend starting a workday in the same way as a home office or present work day. For example, it helps to dress as you would in the office and to register with the team or your boss when you start work and then log out again later.