Have you heard of ‘bleisure’? How about ‘workcationing’? Okay, we’re willing to admit that these neologisms are a little off-kilter in the language department, but the actual trend it describes is something quite amazing. The whole idea boils down to keeping up with work while you travel somewhere that’s not the city or town in which you normally reside.
This type of situation can be great for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you have family that live far away, and visiting them for a weekend alone is not feasible or affordable in terms of the travel expenses. Or maybe you simply want to have the option of sticking your toes in the sand after work on weekdays and exploring new places over the weekends.
Whatever the case may be, it’s an attractive option for many people who are able to work remotely, and aren’t necessarily tied to a given living space, or simply crave some adventure while still earning a salary or maintaining a freelance career.
However, it takes some finesse to plan a workable workcation. Here are a few top tips to get you started:
Digital nomadism is no longer a foreign concept for most employers, but checking in with your employer before you set off on a workcation is a solid rule of thumb. Even if you are a freelancer who makes their own hours and never has to go into the office, it’s still good conduct to let your clients know that you are departing for a new location.
While this may not disrupt their flow of work in any way, they did employ or contract you at a time when you were located in a specific place, and there might be internal considerations on their part that you might not be privy to. Short of the long - even if you are fully remote, schedule a chat with your HR contact to discuss the idea before you put it into practice.
Check that your intended destination has:
If there is a major time zone difference you may also need to discuss contactability with your employer, or settle for working odd hours yourself to correlate with your co-workers back home.
Even though you are working elsewhere, be sure to maintain a regular schedule. This can be quite tricky if you are visiting family, who may want to ‘pop in’ or ‘quickly say hi’ while you are technically on the clock. Be sure to communicate the importance of your work hours to everyone, and remain professional in your conduct during work interactions (e.g. put on a formal shirt for Zoom meetings, etc.).
Now you know! Would you like corporate travel assistance and support that will allow you to work like a champ wherever (and whenever) you or members of your team are headed on a trip? Our seasoned travel planners are available to assist you with all your corporate travel planning needs. Feel free to contact us to find out more about the full line-up of corporate travel-planning services we offer at TravelManor.
