Work Anywhere – When work and vacation become one

When I found out that it-economics was introducing a workation model, I immediately knew that I would use it.

In fact, I couldn't think of a workplace benefit with greater added value. Spoiler Alert: It's 100% confirmed!

Workation is possible at it-economics once a year for 21 days at a time and in most EU countries.

How it started: They said yes!

The question quickly arose as to what I had to do to apply for my workation.

There is a simple step-by-step guide from our HR team. After consultation with your own team, all IT devices must be checked for suitability and security (duration: approx. 10 minutes). If you have these two GOs, you only need the A1 foreign certificate. This confirms that a person working abroad continues to be part of the German social security system. All formalities can be clarified within 2-3 days.

Really easy, right?

Work Anywhere – Where is my Anywhere?

As an absolute summer person, it was clear to me that I wanted to go to a warm country, to a city that wasn't too big, with access to the sea.

Lisbon, with its 500.000 inhabitants, seemed perfectly suited to this. Incidentally, I found out afterwards that Lisbon is number 1 in many workation rankings because of the incredible number of coworking spaces.

You can use a list on our own intranet to check whether the selected country is formally suitable for Workation. Portugal had a green tick - so it was quickly clear that things could start.

Reality check or things I wish I had known beforehand

• Living in a shared apartment at 28 isn't as fun as it was in your early 20s, especially when no one speaks English.
• An apartment without air conditioning in Lisbon in August is not a good idea! From noon it was difficult to stay in it.
• For coworking spaces you need noise canceling headphones, otherwise your colleagues will also hear how 2 Portuguese people are arguing next to you, how loud the music can be in a hotel lobby or how the interview with your counterpart is going.
• Even an hour time difference can become a problem if your first meeting in Germany is at 1 a.m. Tip from me: Block your calendars so that you can keep to your “normal” working hours.

What really matters: Work Anywhere is a life changer

• Due to the many coworking spaces in Lisbon, I have always found a suitable, free workplace that was air-conditioned and you could work in peace and quiet.
• Due to the different vibe of a city in the south, the mentality and the incredibly good weather, my motivation for my job increased enormously. I have repeatedly made myself aware of the great opportunity it-economics offers me with the workation offer and the extraordinary atmosphere in which I am currently allowed to work.
• There was 1A functioning WLAN everywhere, sockets and all programs worked perfectly.
• And isn't it cool to sit at a table with other people every day? So every day I got to know new people and different cultures and ways of working.
• Since the days are long in the south, it was no problem to lie on the beach for hours after work, explore the city or enjoy the evening with new friends. That's what I call work-life balance!

How can you not feel comfortable here?

I came back to Germany with many new impressions and a great boost of motivation and I can still draw on the unique experience. I can only recommend everyone to take advantage of this benefit, because breaking out of everyday life every now and then is good for the soul, creativity and mindset.

I also found a few practical tips for your work in a blog here.

With the button you will find even more benefits from which you can benefit as a One Team member at it-economics.

author

Teresa Unfried