A workcation is a working vacation. On workcation, you take a break from the workplace, but not the work itself. In this type of situation, you go where you please, but do so while working remotely. You may also hear of this referred to as “bleisure,” a combination of business and leisure.
If you already work remotely, you may have some experience with a workcation and the benefits the arrangement can offer. For example, maybe you’ve visited family for the holidays or accompanied a spouse on an out-of-town conference, and took your laptop with you. Though if you are normally in a traditional office, then a workcation is probably new territory for you. In this blog post, we’ll learn about some do’s and don’ts of workcations, and why it may be a great option for you and your staff members if your business uses a hosted VoIP phone system.
Working remotely + Vacation = Workcation
You may be asking: How could you possibly work AND take a vacation at the same time? It’s entirely possible, and gives employees an amazing work-life balance. A large part of the business world has been successfully working from home for the past four years. A true work from anywhere situation gives you the flexibility to work remotely from any location.
On a workcation, you put in your typical workday from anywhere you’ve traveled to. Whether you’re on your resort WiFi in Cabo, visiting your extended family in Southern Cali, or relaxing on a terrace in Barcelona, you can take less time off and still travel. After a full day of meetings, emails, and calls to clients, you have the freedom to go watch a sunset over the ocean, enjoy a breezy seaside dinner, or attend a nighttime concert of your favorite singer.
Taking a Workcation Instead of Using PTO
Taking a workcation can be very appealing. 11 days is the average number of PTO for private sector employees who have completed one year of service, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s 2 working weeks for an entire year. When you take your work with you on trips, vacations & getaways, you can avoid using all of that PTO while still getting a great work-life balance. You’re still putting in a full day of work—you’re just in a new, scenic location. You can save your actual vacation days for special trips, mental health days away from the computer, and vacations that you want to fully immerse yourself in.
Another benefit is that you don’t have to delay any important projects or assignments that are on your plate. You can continue to move forward on those tasks. Many people don’t take trips because they feel anxious about deadlines, and workcations are a good way to be able to stay on top of things while still getting away.
How VoIP Helps Achieve a Productive Remote Work Vacation
Being able to work from anywhere and stay connected is a huge perk of utilizing a VoIP phone system. Your VoIP phone system utilizes any internet connection to make phone calls, video calls, SMS and more. This means you can use WiFi from any resort, AirBNB, cottage, etc. to complete your work calls and enter your video conferences.
Mobile App & Web Softphone Connect You While You’re Away
Employees don’t need a physical desk phone with them to have complete control over their business phone number. With our CallHarbor Web Softphone and Mobile App, workers can make and take calls from anywhere.
By using our mobile app or web softphone, employees don’t have to be tied to a specific desk or phone. They can utilize their work phone number and all the other great VoIP phone system features from anywhere. You can start new phone calls right from the web softphone, begin new chat or SMS conversations with your coworkers, view your settings and toggle answering rules and greetings, and even more.
Tips For a Successful Workcation
Achieving this ideal work-life balance can still be difficult. You also want to make sure that your company is onboard for your travels, too! The tips below will help you build a successful plan for your workcation.
Get Any Required Approvals Ahead of Time
Depending on what your flexible work situation is at your company, you need to make sure to get the proper approvals. Making sure that you, your boss, and your team are on the same page is very important. For some work situations, you don’t even need to tell your boss, you can simply continue work as normal. If you usually have a hybrid work schedule, or if there is a big time difference, you’ll definitely need to keep everyone informed so they know what to expect/not expect from you.
Choose a Connected Location
Make sure that wherever you are going for your workcation, you are still connected. Being reachable and having a good internet connection is an important part of continuing work as normal. Going off the grid is not your best option for a workcation.
Bring All Work Technology That You Need
Make a list of the tech and accessories you need ahead of time so you don’t forget anything. Each day the week before, note what you use/don’t use, so you have everything you need and aren’t toting around extra bulky gear. Whatever you need to power your productivity while working from a new place should be on your list too. It’s essential that you pack items like your work laptop, chargers, headset or headphones, thumb drives that you may need, etc. This will help you remain as productive as normal.
Think Security First & Foremost
With all of this work-sensitive hardware that you’ll have on hand, take precautions to secure it. Set up password protection on all of your devices, enable two-factor authentication, and make use of the hotel room safe. Be aware if the WiFi connection you are using is public, and what info you are sending out.
Communicate Your Schedule to Your Team
If you are working different hours than normal, and have gotten them approved by your boss, you’ll also want to inform your team. Whether it’s in an email, marking the hours on your calendar, or posting your availability each morning in your team’s messaging app, it’s important that your colleagues know when they can contact you. Remember, the key to making a workcation work is to be open and honest about when and how you can be reached.