It is by no means possible for all jobs to work from abroad. And far from every employer will agree. Fortunately, I do know of examples of both large corporates and SMEs that favor workations. Those companies value freedom and trust, giving employees the flexibility to work from wherever they want. Provided, of course, you meet some preconditions such as good Internet, a good workplace, being accessible and doing your job well. But that is all perfectly feasible.
Development in the labor market
Taking good care of your staff is nothing new. Companies are getting better and more open-minded about it. Corona has greatly accelerated the flex-working trend. And so has the workation trend or working as a digital nomad. There is a shortage a workers. Therefore, it is even more important what you have to offer as an employer. Giving the space and freedom for workations can therefore make a company more attractive. Of course, it has to suit your organization and be possible to work remotely. Because it is still so new it is not just on a website that this is possible. Even at my employer Frankwatching this is not the case. In fact, an outsider does not know at all that this has been very common with us for years. A shame, because I’m sure it attracts people. So have a conversation with an employer if you want this too. Who knows what is possible or where the conversation will lead.
Starting the conversation with your employer
I regularly talk to people who have gone “under the radar,” usually because they don’t feel like fussing or making crooked faces at colleagues. A pity, because honesty is a prerequisite for mutual trust. On the other hand, sometimes I do understand someone, because if it doesn’t matter where you work for your position anyway, you just want to be able to leave. Let it be clear that I am not in favor of going abroad without informing your employer. In some cases, this would even carry the necessary risks, if the company policy does not match your actions. So start the conversation and state your needs and desires. Explain why you would like this to happen. Prepare well and make sure you know what to think about in a workation. Then you can tell your manager or boss more about it. He or she may not know what to imagine either. Explaining what you want to do is very important to give a good picture of the situation. Below I tell you what to prepare for that conversation. Tip #1 – Check the rules
Check if there are already rules for working from abroad. At large organizations, there will be a policy, perhaps even on paper, about your workplace. With SME companies, this may not be as concrete, but just right to start the conversation about the possibilities. The company can make a choice in this to allow it or not. Tip #2 – Prepare and write it down
Write down literally what points you want to discuss. It always helps me tremendously to write it down, then you can be sure you don’t forget anything to say or ask during your interview. In the heat of the moment, that tends to happen. Think about why you want this, what your motivation is. In my case it was a huge need for new stimuli and positive energy. Tip #3 – Destination and period
Besides your motive, you should also discuss how long you want to go away, what destination you want to go to and where you will stay. That plan doesn’t have to be in the works yet, indeed, you certainly shouldn’t book it in advance, but you should have a plan. Take into account the time difference. Your colleagues will usually work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and in order to communicate with them decently, you will have to work mostly between those times, which is efficient. Nor is it very convenient if you want to leave during the busiest time of the year, in which case taking extra time off is out of the question. Or if you are needed at the office. So plan around that. Tip #4 – Shape your work week
Above I mentioned that you need to plan when you can be away easily. In addition, you need to determine how the balance between work and time off will be. I often take an extra day off when I’m on workation so I have just a little more time to do fun things. Or, like me, you can even take a portion of unpaid leave.
Consult this also with your employer and colleagues. But in principle, of course, this always applies. This will give you a good idea of your work week and then you can start planning your free time and activities. Tip #5 – Arrange your accommodation
Finally, you need to arrange your accommodation. Not a whole lot different from your vacation accommodation, but there are a few things to keep in mind when working from abroad. Good wifi is almost everywhere these days, but check in reviews to see if it is indeed good quality. Comments like “the wifi dropped out frequently” are a red flag! In addition, I always like to book an apartment or hostel with a nice work desk. Then I don’t always have to go to flex-work places. Although that is also very nice. Finally, I don’t know if it’s necessary to say you shouldn’t sit in the bushbush? Something with no wifi and range at all, nice as a vacation, but not as a workation.
Asking permission at work
To be honest, when I went to ask to work from Spain for 3 (!) months I was quite nervous. Actually crazy, because I already knew that others also worked from abroad for longer periods of time or even permanently. But still. It is something new and therefore always exciting. But that tension was unnecessary, it was a very pleasant conversation and everything was fine.
I immediately indicated that I had thought about the preconditions such as the workplace and accessibility, which did help.
I was even given the space to temporarily work less, which I wanted. As a result, I now work 3 days. I can tell you that I am intensely happy with that, 4 days a week to discover Spain. Doing fun things, enjoying a day at the beach. I really am a lucky person!
This is what my workation work week looks like
I am an event manager at Frankwatching, a marketing platform. At an event I have to be at the location in Utrecht, but around that I have all the freedom. Usually my workations are about a week. I often choose 1 city, otherwise I spend too much time travelling there and back and I like to take my time somewhere. Those travel days are often on weekends. During the day I work, usually pretty much between 9am – 5pm. Not necessarily, but I like the structure it gives me. I also have a fair amount of online meetings with colleagues, and most of them work between those times. I consider it a privilege to be able to work from abroad, so I don’t want to bother anyone else with meetings at inconvenient times. During my lunch break, I often go for a walk, which in Spain is almost always in the sun. That way you see something of your surroundings. At the end of the day, I close the laptop and go into town or watch the sunset on the beach.
After 5 minutes you already forget that you worked that day.
Maybe you wonder if it’s not too tempting to get completely absorbed in the vacation spirit and lose sight of the balance with work. Yes and no. Yes that temptation is there, no my sense of responsibility is too great to forsake. I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror. And besides, there is just work in the pile that needs to be done. Tip: Does your employer still know little about workations? Then forward this blog or my earlier article on frankwatching.com
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https://www.frankwatching.com/archive/2021/12/03/werken-vanuit-buitenland/
Want to read experiences of others? Read another blog here: Working from a tree house at workation
