Working from beach this summer? How to make your hybrid set-up work
The pandemic changed the very fibre of the way we live, with the flexible working arrangements implemented during lockdown now here to stay.
A growing number of organisations have now realised that allowing their employees to set up office away from their desks is beneficial to their wellbeing. A survey by CIPD found that 66 per cent of companies believe it is important to offer flexible working as an option for workers, with around one in three of us in work now having hybrid set-ups.
However, new research has indicated that people may be taking advantage of this more laissez-faire approach when it comes to working from home, and may actually be WFH instead; working from holiday, that is.
It seems, for many of us, the beach is our new office. A study commissioned by price comparison site MoneySupermarket found that as many as six million of us plan to be working while abroad this summer – which would allow people to enjoy travelling without using up those precious few days of annual leave.
“Now that people don’t even need to go in to an office at all to successfully manage their roles, it makes sense that they can do this from any location – as long as you have a laptop, WiFi and a phone,” explains the executive coach and motivational speaker (as well as Harper’s Bazaar careers agony aunt) Jo Glynn-Smith.
So how can we go about mixing sun, sea and sangria with spreadsheets? Glynn-Smith asserts that, in order to 'work from beach' effectively, it’s all about time management and preparation.
“Find the best time of the day for you to focus – most likely to be mornings – and commit a few hours to proactively prioritising and then getting through the work methodically,” she says. “You want to be as efficient as possible so that you can have time to relax and be present for the rest of the day.”
This is not the time to be procrastinating; the more work you manage to sort in the morning, the less you have to do later when you could actually be enjoying yourself poolside.
“During the day you may be answering emails or taking a few calls, but otherwise you just need to keep an eye on what’s going on,” Glynn-Smith continues. “Finally, check in again at the end of the day and follow up on anything you’ve missed. Before you switch off for the evening, prepare a plan for the following day.”
It’s important that, even though you’re working from beach, your colleagues very much won’t be, and that a modicum of professionalism is required. If it wouldn’t be appropriate to attend a meeting with a mojito in hand while in your swimwear in the office, you shouldn’t be doing so on holiday. Likewise, while it was fine to have children running around while we were in the trenches of lockdown, having chaotic little ones barging in and out of your Zoom calls may not be warmly received.
“Finding somewhere quiet to set up a mobile office is probably a good idea,” Glynn-Smith says. “You will get a lot more done if you are away from your group, so have a think about what might work best.
“If you do have kids, make sure you have a plan for them while you are in meetings or trying to work – clubs and activities are all good for this. If you have a partner or family, you can share the responsibility with them.
“To be focused and efficient, you also want to minimise drinking too much, which can be hard for some people on holiday. Trust me though, if you have a clear head, it will all be a lot easier!”
Therein lies some of the downsides of beachside working. The new study found that one in five staff get frustrated when they find out that some of their coworkers are logging on virtually. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of staff have voiced their concerns that those who are away are not being as productive as workers who are still in the office – with some complaining that those abroad are missing deadlines because of timezone differences.
Even if you do manage to get all your tasks done, working from beach may irrevocably blur the boundaries between office time and holiday time, seeing employees fail to get a proper rest.
“You don’t switch off,” explains Glynn-Smith. “Your brain needs to rest and relax, especially if you’re in a high-pressured job. If you’re ‘working from beach’ you’re never going to properly relax, which can be detrimental to your mental and physical health.
“As humans we need rest – we are far more productive when we have rest, far more focused, and find stress easier to handle. Without rest, we can become overwhelmed and this can lead to burnout.”
As Glynn-Smith rightly points out, hybrid working means that employees are working more than ever before; one survey found that 52 per cent of remote workers report working longer hours compared to their office-based counterparts. With 79 per cent of employees reporting feeling ‘burned out’, it is important to be mindful that we should still take annual leave (without the laptop) should we feel we need it; everyone is entitled to take a proper break without constantly feeling the need to check emails.
However, if you are organised and disciplined enough to work from holiday, there’s no reason why you can’t – or shouldn’t – be able to.
“With technology being what it is, the days of 9-5 are a distant memory,” Glynn-Smith says. “Why not take advantage of being able to be more flexible, and manage your time to do more of the things that make you happy?”
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