TOP 9 benefits of workation
In our previous article on workation, we listed the biggest risks an employee must be prepared for. Someone might think – if so many dangers are lurking for me during workation, what is the point to going for one? It turns out that despite every challenge, workation has many benefits for both the employee and the organization and its popularity is still growing. In the following article, we will present the most important workation’s benefits.Â
Why should your employees go on a workation?
Workation is a combination of remote working and traveling, which naturally emerged as a consequence of the prevalence of remote work. It is remote work that gives us such mobility and flexibility as to the place of work. We already know the challenges that come with going on a workation, but the benefits are increasingly encouraging companies and employees to promote this idea. Let’s find out, why!
TOP 9 workation’s benefits
1. Positive impact on employees’ mental health
A change of environment has a huge impact on an employee’s well-being. It’s not just about the room itself that they’re in, but also about the opportunities the surrounding area offers them. New places and new leisure options, even the chance to taste different foods in interesting places, provide new stimuli and new experiences. New sensations and opportunities give us great joy, which translates into a better mood, benefiting our productivity at work as well. The sun, the beach or just the fact of being in a new place allows you to relax faster and releases endorphins.
2. Positive impact on employees’ physical health
Workation encourages more activity, including taking more frequent breaks during work. Instead of going for coffee or lounging on the couch, the employee chooses more active ways to spend his free time. This can be a simple walk combined with sightseeing, swimming in the sea, and sometimes even extreme sports. Movement, physical exertion, and oxygenation of the body are consequently stress-reduction, better well-being, and prevention of physical health.
3. Getting to know new places and people
Visiting new places and learning about new cultures and people develops our intellect. Encouraging employee development, and broadening mental horizons, can be an important part of organizational culture. With this approach, you give the employee the opportunity to develop his knowledge not only as an employee but as a person. This opens an employee to new experiences and prepares them for new challenges.
4. Breaking the daily routine
Daily routine leads to boredom over time. That’s why it’s a good idea to enrich our daily routine from time to time, if only by taking a short trip, going to the beach, or visiting a different restaurant than usual during a lunch break. Enriching our daily life with new activities will help not only to relax our bodies but also our heads.
5. Increased productivity
There is a good chance that the employees have fewer household responsibilities, commitments, and other distractions during workation. In addition, wanting to spend as much of their free time as possible away from their laptop, they perform their tasks more efficiently, don’t waste time chatting, and are more motivated to complete their assigned tasks quickly.
6. Better work organization
The vision of spending an afternoon at the beach or exploring interesting places motivates greater focus on responsibilities in the time allotted. By carving out time for work-related tasks, you can better mobilize yourself to complete them.
7. Increased quality of work
A relaxed body means a relaxed mind, which becomes more creative and productive. Adding variety to our lives by taking a trip to an unfamiliar or well-liked place allows us to better relax, and de-stress. And this has an incredible impact on our work. We find it easier to focus, think about what we are doing, prioritize and also take care of relationships with others.
8. Increased job satisfaction
Work flexibility is increasingly appreciated and even demanded by employees. Modern employees want to have a free choice of where they work. They want to have this flexibility to decide for themselves that tomorrow they want to be in a different place than today. Without this option, they may be less motivated and even look for an employer who will give them this opportunity.
9. Maintenance of work continuity
There is no need to interrupt ongoing projects or lose control of work matters when going on a workation. Workation will work every time a “regular” vacation is impossible for any reason. It is the best solution when an employee needs to leave at least for a while but still needs to keep their commitments at work.
Workation is becoming increasingly popular, as noted by global travel agencies. The people who use them most often are younger employees aged 18-29. However, it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that employers will be increasingly willing to include workation in the permanent set of every employee benefits. If the trend does not move in the direction of replacing workation with real and full-time vacations, it has a chance to take hold permanently and serve both employees and employers.