US: The future of remote work blends business and play

The employment landscape has changed in recent years, adding more opportunities for people to work remotely whether on a full-time or hybrid basis. Some employers have expanded the scope of work-from-home work models to include the ability to work from anywhere.

Enter the workcation trend where employees blend remote work with leisure travel. A new poll from YouGov shows that mixing business and pleasure appears to be a tempting proposal for many.

A poll of over 700 US adults who can work remotely reveals that more than half (53%) are interested in being able to take a workcation in the next 12 months.

The workcation trend is especially popular among the younger workforce. Nearly two-thirds of US adults aged 18-34 (65%) who are able to work remotely say they are very or fairly interested in combining their work responsibilities with a vacation.

With the high level of interest in workcations this year, we asked those who can take advantage of the opportunity and are interested in doing so about the types of destinations they would visit if they were to take a workcation. Destinations with natural landscapes are the most popular, with nearly half of rthis group saying they would visit lakes, mountains, or the countryside (47%) or somewhere close to the beach/coast.

An additional two in five say they would visit islands (41%) or historical towns (38%). Others seem attracted to reconnect with loved ones and would seek somewhere with friends or family close by (36%).

The study also identifies specific destinations that are of interest to those who can work remotely and are interested in taking a workcation—both domestic and abroad. Some of the most popular domestic destinations include Hawaii (39%), Florida (35%), California (34%), New York (33%) and Colorado (25%).

As for the international locations they would travel to, workers who can work remotely and who are interested in taking a workcation rank Italy (42%) at the top of their list, followed by Australia (36%), Canada (32%), the Caribbean (32%), France (32%) and the UK (32%).

Other popular destinations with this group of potential travelers include Spain (31%), New Zealand (28%), Iceland (24%) Germany (24%) and Mexico (24%).