Workations: Perk, Pitfall, or Both?

"Feel like working from the beach today?"

Not long ago, that was just office banter. Now, it's a legitimate question—and increasingly part of the hiring conversation.

Welcome to the era of the workation: part vacation, part remote work, and 100% a test of boundaries, bandwidth, and burnout risk.

Over the last few years, professionals at every level have embraced the idea of swapping the home office for a rental in Lake Tahoe or Lisbon. Surveys show that more than half of remote-capable workers have worked from a vacation destination in 2023. The reasons? Flexibility, inspiration, and the ability to take that long-desired trip without draining your PTO.

Sounds like a dream, right? Sometimes it is. Other times, it's a productivity minefield.

Let's break it down: what Workations are, why they matter to candidates (and employers), and how to approach them without torpedoing your productivity, your team's trust, or your PTO balance.

Why Workations Are So Appealing (and Why Candidates Are Asking for Them)

Once reserved for freelancers and digital nomads, workations have officially become mainstream. So, what's driving this interest?

We've seen a noticeable shift in how candidates, especially executives and rising leaders, evaluate opportunities. They're not just asking about job duties and compensation. Flexibility has become one of the most powerful currencies in today's hiring market, and workations are perhaps one of the more controversial forms it takes.

For companies that say yes (within reason), this kind of cultural flexibility can be a major differentiator. It signals trust, autonomy, and an understanding that productivity doesn't require a cubicle—or even a zip code.

But as with any perk, there's a flip side that's easy to overlook in all the Instagram-worthy scenery.

The Flip Side: Distractions, Burnout, and the Illusion of Balance

The challenge with workations is that they're easy to romanticize and hard to execute well.

Let's start with distractions. A charming café in Barcelona might be great for journaling, but less so for back-to-back Zoom calls. Even the most disciplined professional can struggle to stay focused when local adventures are calling their name.

Time zones create another set of problems. A 9 AM Eastern call sounds fine— until you're in Portugal, logging on at 2 PM and working through dinner. That kind of schedule shift can erode any semblance of rest or leisure, especially when the line between work and vacation was already fuzzy to begin with.

Connectivity is a gamble. Sure, you can research internet speeds and bring the right converters—but it won't feel worth it if your rental's Wi-Fi goes down during a client meeting.

Here's the irony: even as people find clever ways to work from beaches and Airbnbs, many aren't taking any break at all.

A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that 46% of U.S. workers who receive paid time off don't use all of it. The reasons range from not feeling the need to feel guilty about co-workers picking up the slack to the fear of falling behind.

That tells us something important: many professionals consider unplugging risky or selfish. And in that context, a workation can start to feel less like a perk and more like a workaround. You're not really unplugging; you're just relocating your stress.

If your people hesitate to use their PTO, slapping a "workation" label on it won't solve the deeper issue. Leaders need to model balance, not just preach it.

So, How Do You Make Workations Work?

Workations can be a genuine perk and a meaningful part of a company's flexible culture— if there's structure behind the freedom.

If you or your team are considering a workation or if candidates are asking about it in interviews, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Set clear boundaries. Define what a workation is (and isn't). Is it a few days tacked onto a trip or a longer, remote stint? Avoid planning a workation during crucial times, such as a product launch or performance review cycle. The most successful workations occur when your workload allows for some flexibility.

Set expectations early. Define work hours, deliverables, and availability before the trip. That way, no one's left wondering why you're MIA during a crucial call.

Be honest about availability. Workation doesn't mean "always on, just in a prettier place." Leaders should model healthy boundaries—both for themselves and their teams.

Prioritize real PTO, too. A workation is not a substitute for actual rest. Encourage employees (and yourself) to unplug completely at least once a year.

And if you're hiring? Be ready to discuss how your organization handles location flexibility. Candidates aren't just curious—they're making decisions based on it.

It's about Trust

Workations aren't about avoiding work but reframing how and where we do it. And like most flexible work arrangements, their success boils down to one thing: trust.

Workations can be a compelling way to merge flexibility with focus when planned well and grounded in clear communication.

If you're hiring, be ready for candidates to ask whether flexibility is just a buzzword or something your culture truly supports. If you're leading a team, create an environment where people feel safe stepping away, whether to take a full vacation or refresh their view while staying connected. Done right, workations help companies attract and retain top talent while giving individuals a sense of freedom that's hard to find in traditional work structures.

Just don't forget the sunscreen—and double-check the Wi-Fi.