Many people underestimate how much good preparation influences the process. Booking early not only saves money, but also ensures that you have the right conditions. Nils, Lena and Nik agree that it is particularly important to look for accommodation with a stable internet connection. Many hosts now provide MBit figures or reviews from other travelers help to assess whether video calls work without any problems, because workation is no longer a novelty and more and more people are taking advantage of the opportunity to combine work and travel.
The formal processes also play a key role here: the internal application, which is not rocket science but is certainly extensive, should be completed in good time and approved by the manager. This also includes the A1 certificate, a document that is required for working abroad and must be included in the preparations, as Nik emphasizes.
How early the preparations are started varies greatly, however, and depends above all on the destination and your own flexibility. Nils, for example, takes up to six months in advance to be able to organize flights and accommodation as cheaply as possible, while Nik likes to organize spontaneously just a few days in advance - as long as there is enough time for the formalities and the travel options don't get in the way of the 10-day rule or important meetings, there is no right or wrong here.

In the case of Workation, the predominantly home office and anywhere-work culture at empiriecom means that not much has changed in terms of work processes. Our colleagues are most likely to start their working day a little earlier so that they can take the afternoon off and enjoy the evening in the sun, by the sea or exploring new places. With the prospect of this program, work motivation also increases noticeably and the sun and sea are less of a distraction than an incentive.
Breaks also feel different. Instead of a quick kitchen-to-desk round, Lena goes to a market hall and Nik takes a quick dip in the pool. These more conscious breaks have a surprisingly positive effect on concentration and mood and ensure that they often work more productively during a workation than in the office or in their usual home office. The fresh environment boosts energy, creates new ideas and keeps the mind flexible.

This became particularly clear during Nik's last workation in Croatia. A short trip to the local Lidl and the corresponding switch to the Croatian version of the Lidl app triggered a flood of ideas from our UX Lead on how to optimize the shopping apps of empiriecom customers with gamification approaches. While he was still in the car, he dictated the most important key points to his wife to make sure he didn't forget anything! Because while customers in the Lidl Croatia app collect points, unlock rewards and receive further offers with every purchase, every visit to one of the stores and use of offers, they are repeatedly encouraged to make purchases. This points system is nothing new in itself, but has not yet been introduced to empiriecom customers and can offer a profitable approach there, Nik is sure. Internally, these ideas were further developed after Nik's return and are now waiting to be implemented.

The Workation mix of distance, good humor and new sensory impressions has given Nik's creativity in particular a real boost!

Of course, there are aspects that only become apparent on site, such as the time difference. Even a single hour can change the daily routine, not necessarily in terms of meetings, but in terms of daylight. Anyone traveling to south-eastern Europe in November will be surprised at how early it gets dark there. If you want to soak up the sun, you should definitely plan for this factor, as Lena found out.

Flight times should not be underestimated either. Sometimes there are only a few connections per week, which may happen to fall on working days. In such cases, it can happen that the last workation day is also the travel day, which Nils tries to avoid by planning early.

Another point that is often forgotten: Although a workation is financially worthwhile, it is not automatically cheap. You still have to pay rent at home as well as accommodation and living costs in the host country. Some solve this by traveling in pairs or spending a week with family, a model that not only saves money but also allows for more enjoyable experiences.

Despite all the organizational details, one point remains crucial: workation only works well if you are prepared to draw a clear line between working hours and free time. Experience shows that this demarcation is even easier on site. Those who start early and work reliably enjoy their time all the more intensively afterwards. This creates clear daily rhythms that provide both structure and freedom.
What is particularly nice is that many people feel more motivated in the long term after a workation, even if they may have a slight dip in mood in the first week back, the positive energy that you bring with you often stays with you for a surprisingly long time. Many describe that they are more creative afterwards, work with more focus and are generally more satisfied with their day-to-day work.