Settling down on a grassy patch by a riverside, with a laptop in hand, might be far away from the conventional image of a work day. But, with the many months of work from home, necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to its own share of issues, IT companies in Kerala too have begun experimenting with the idea of a ‘workcation,’ in which your workspace shifts to a vacation spot for a few days.
Companies have been sending entire teams, comprising five to 15 employees, to beach resorts or hill stations for 3-7 days to let them get away from the pressures of working at office or home. Nishin T.N., an employee of QBurst Technologies in Thiruvanananthapuram, who recently had a ‘workcation’ with his team of 12 at Kumarakom for four days and three nights, says it was refreshing working with colleagues in a fun atmosphere after months of not meeting anyone.
COVID-19 precautions
“Before the pandemic, we usually had team outings, but this is the first time work has become a part of such short vacations. Though it became a trend last year in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, it is just catching on in Kerala. Employees have been raising work-from-home issues, including lack of interaction with others, longer working hours, and the extra pressure of housework. At the resort in Kumarakom, we hardly ever sat in the room to work, with the workspace shifting from lakeside to lawns and other locations. We took all COVID-19 precautions, including RT-PCR tests,” says Mr. Nishin.
Tailor-made packages
The trend has also led to crisis-ridden tour operators coming out with packages tailor-made for IT companies, including a promise of uninterrupted Wi-fi connection and continued technical support, factors that are most important for the sector. They also arrange kayaking, hiking, or campfires for the entire team, to unwind in the evenings or in the weekends. The workcations are often clubbed with the weekends. The companies bear the entire expenses, including food and accommodation.
“We launched workcation packages in May last year. Before the second wave, teams from Bengaluru-based companies used to take workcations in resorts at Wayanad and Munnar, and in beaches like Varkala. Now, we have tie-ups with IT companies in Kerala, which lead to other referrals. Most enquiries come through Instagram. We have hosted around 700 IT employees in different locations. For bigger groups, we provide a bubble by blocking the entire property for the company,” says Naveen Mathew, who runs the travel start-up Tyndis, at the Mizone Incubation Centre in Kannur.
