The image is becoming familiar: a laptop open on a scenic overlook, a coffee cup beside it, and a calendar notification cutting through the calm. This is the workation—a blend of work and vacation that is reshaping how many professionals approach their jobs. But while employees increasingly embrace this lifestyle, corporate policies are struggling to keep pace.
According to fresh research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), one in five managers has already taken a workation. However, only one in eight employers has a formal policy governing them. This disconnect creates a patchwork of approvals and inconsistent expectations, leaving both managers and staff in a gray area.
The demand is undeniable. A long-running YouGov poll found that 37% of remote-capable workers want to take a workation within the next year, and travel companies are already packaging this as a product. The trend is also accelerating at the organizational level: a Grant Thornton study of 600 business leaders revealed that policies for international remote work jumped from 59% in 2023 to 77% in 2025—a rapid shift from ad hoc exception to standard practice.
This shift reflects a broader change in employee priorities. The Work In America survey reports that 92% of workers consider psychological wellbeing a key factor when choosing an employer, and location flexibility is increasingly seen as a sign of trust. Younger workers are particularly keen: among those aged 18 to 34, enthusiasm for workations is even higher. And the stakes are real—6% of employees left a job in the past year due to limited flexibility.
Academic research suggests this is more than a passing fad. Studies on work-life blending describe a future where work and personal life are interwoven throughout the day. The University of Birmingham's work on flexible work highlights how technology is transforming time, travel, and wellbeing.
For leaders, the key is to treat workations as a governed form of flexibility, not an informal perk. CMI emphasizes that clear rules and consistent approvals are essential. Manager training is equally critical—coaching on planning, feedback, and outcome-based performance can keep standards high.
Operational clarity is the first step. Define which roles qualify, set maximum durations, establish core overlap hours, and specify service levels. Approvals should be tied to objective factors like project timing and coverage. Fairness also requires transparent processes, especially for frontline workers who cannot work remotely. The Acas code of practice on flexible working requests offers a useful model, and a broader hybrid work strategy can help maintain culture and inclusion.
Security is another frontier. Laptops travel through airports, cafes, and shared networks, so robust measures—like VPNs, managed devices, and clear reporting channels for lost equipment—are essential. Cross-border tax compliance is a hidden trap; the OECD's remote work tax guidance and Model Tax Convention updates aim to clarify permanent establishment questions, helping employers navigate these waters.
Ultimately, workations succeed when they serve their human purpose. CMI respondents largely viewed them positively, linking them to mental health and balance. Leaders can reinforce this by designing workations around sustainable energy and clear availability windows, echoing the U.S. surgeon general's workplace mental health framework, which calls for connection, predictability, and rest. Even families who blend travel and work—like worldschoolers—show that planned downtime and local community are vital.
Executives who get this right see workations as structured flexibility, protected by policy and culture. When clear rules are set, work is secured, and recovery time is defended, workations become a powerful retention tool. The laptop on the cliff then signals a modern organization that trusts its people—and earns that trust in return.
