The pros and cons of combining vacation time with work

Workcations provide change, chance to recharge but there are risks

BY John Dujay 21 Mar 2022

Taking some valuable time off while keeping in touch by remaining on the job, which is known as taking a workcation, is proving a fashionable option for many employees.

Two-thirds of Americans (67 per cent) have taken a workcation and another 94 per cent plan to workcation again in 2022 and in future years, according to a survey of more than 1,100 U.S. workers conducted in December by passport-photo.online.

More than four in five or 82 per cent took the time off in their home countries, while 18 per cent went international.

The most common duration for a workcation was one to two weeks (36 per cent), followed by three to four weeks (32 per cent), more than one month (13 per cent), less than one month (10 per cent) and two months or more (nine per cent).

Many folks are feeling vacation-deprived, according to another survey.

But when asked why workers schedule a workcation, the reasons varied:

recharge batteries, both mental and emotional (67 per cent)
avoid the idea of being confined to one place (62 per cent)
discover a new place without having to burn vacation time (60 per cent)
escape the day-to-day drudgery and have a change of scenery (57 per cent)
meet new friends, business contacts or even new lover (42 per cent)
prevent or cope with burnout (18 per cent)

While workcations are no panacea, there are some reasons why they could be valuable to workers, particularly amid today’s turbulent times

“For one, they let [you] change up your environment. That in itself could make you more productive and help devise unorthodox solutions to problems you’re stuck on. On top of it, workcations often allow employees to disconnect, distress, and breathe fresh air after the workday, which is key to tackling physical or mental exhaustion,” says Max Woolf, writer at passport-photo.online.

Benefits, risks

Workcations provide advantages to workers, says the report:

a rise in productivity (86 per cent)
a coping mechanism for burnout at work (84 per cent)
improved satisfaction at work (84 per cent)
improved creativity (81 per cent)
making employees less likely to leave (69 per cent)

But workcations also provided some questions:

a higher cost of living (71 per cent)
negative impact on work-life balance (56 per cent)
visa or work permit problems (54 per cent)
tax implications (51 per cent)
time-zone differences that harm work communication with the workplace (48 per cent)
loneliness (18 per cent)