For the Millennials and the startup crowd, the boundary between work and personal life are blurred.? Work carries into life and life creeps into work time. The regimental limits of yester years are gone, and it is common for employees to do personal work during office hour and carry office work over into their own time. Time offs, breaks and short games take place at the workplace itself; this is why many modern co-working spaces incorporate Recreation facilities, to provide tenants with an option to unwind at their pace and time.
Now humans being humans, we do crave for holidays and excursions, to explore the world and meet new people. Most people working in startups/ SMEs can seldom afford to take a vacation and switch off from work their funding clock is ticking, and the only way to be ahead in the game is to be at it.
Countries in SE Asia, fare poorly on the work-life balance or vacation days in comparison to our European counterparts, Americans remain an extreme, with business school graduates clocking in 70-80 hour workweek. A survey by PGI in 2013 unearthed that 82% of the 500 US employees surveyed stay connected to the office even when they are on vacation. The work remains with you, so why not just leave it in the holiday routine.
Not taking a vacation because of work on hand is not an answer; there is enough research that highlights the risk of burnout, due to extensive work schedule. By moving to a new work location temporarily and changing the surrounding, you can revitalize yourself and increase your productivity.
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Co-working holiday is a simple concept that can help strike that balance: you travel to a beautiful destination abroad, stay connected with your colleagues back in the office through the internet while working in a co-working space during the day, then enjoy a traveler?s lifestyle at night and weekends. With traditional holidays being out of the question, for freelance professionals, entrepreneurs or business managers, the proposal of taking a ?co-working? holiday in another city or abroad is a great option to keep the work going while absorbing new ideas and inspirations. With the proliferation of high-speed Internet across all the great cities globally, you can now work from any location across the world.
With a significant portion of the workforce now self-employed (or contemplating to be), co-working holidays will be a rave among the entrepreneurs and freelancers looking to a break, without cutting off their income pipeline. Co-working holiday is a picture perfect solution for those looking for a short break away from their usual routine city.
Many companies partner with overseas co-working spaces to provide schedule co-working holidays trips across Asia for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and designers who want to travel while working remotely or focusing on their personal projects. You can plan a trip to Bali, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, or Singapore or any other destinations, and work amongst other with freelancers and entrepreneurs in a co-working space during the day, time and have fun at night. These companies will take care of arranging your workspace so that you can get plugged in as soon as you land while providing opportunities for you to do networking. Besides that, they can set up guided tours, outings and excursions should you require.
Jappreet Sethi