- 43% of employees admit to taking a holiday while working remotely
- 37% had their boss’s approval, signals a shift in workplace flexibility
- Under-50s are twice as likely to take a working holiday (56%) than over-50s (25%)
Remote and hybrid working arrangements have blurred the line between work and play, with half (43%) of Aussie employees admitting they’ve taken a holiday while working remotely. And it’s not just digital nomads fueling this trend; one in three (37%) bosses are now openly allowing ‘workations’. The findings come from a survey of an independent, nationally representative panel of 1006 Australians, commissioned by award-winning travel insurance provider Insure&Go, which sought to discover the extent employees were mixing flexible work with travel.
Many Aussie bosses are saying yes to ‘work from anywhere’
Despite big corporations like Amazon, Tabcorp and Dell issuing return-to-office mandates, 36 per cent of employed Australians are still working remotely in some capacity.
David Mayo, Commercial and Marketing Director at Insure&Go, says businesses are increasingly recognising that work flexibility is key to talent retention.
“With only three per cent of employees in Australia wanting to return to the office full-time, businesses that embrace hybrid or remote models are more likely to attract and retain staff. Employees now expect a degree of flexibility and for many Australians that means the freedom to work from anywhere, including while travelling.”
In fact, 37 per cent of employers believe changes to remote working laws will have the greatest potential to increase workforce availability, and nearly half (49%) anticipate offering cross-border remote work options in the next five years – almost double the global average.
Co-working spaces that cater to employees blending work and travel are popping up in popular holiday destinations like the Gold Coast, Margaret River and the Mornington Peninsula. With forecasts suggesting that co-working spaces could take up more than 30 per cent of lettable commercial space within a decade, the trend suggests that workations may soon become a mainstream option for Australian professionals.
Younger Aussies lead the workation trend
The Insure&Go survey findings also highlighted a generational divide in attitudes towards working holidays, with 56 per cent of under-50s having taken a workation, compared with just 25 per cent of over-50s.
Only six per cent of employees, who worked while travelling, kept it a secret from their boss, reinforcing the high level of trust between employees and employers in Australia. Of those who didn’t disclose their workation, 40 per cent cited it was unnecessary to advise where they were doing their work, and 35 per cent feared they’d be denied permission.
Employees aged 30-49 were the most likely to be upfront about where they were working, with 49 per cent gaining their employer’s approval. Under-30s adults are also highly likely to seek permission (at 46%). By comparison, 22 per cent of over-50s told employers they would take a holiday while working. The youngest generation is more likely to keep their working holiday quiet (at 11%) with 44 per cent fearing their boss would deny them permission to work away from home.
Men are the most likely to take a workation, with 51 per cent taking a personal domestic trip while working remotely compared with 35 per cent of women.
Workation trends across Australia: NSW leads the way
Insure&Go analysed survey responses across the five major states, and found the most populous state had more employees taking workations, including with their boss’s approval. Almost half (46%) of NSW employees have taken a day trip or holiday while working, followed by 43 per cent of Victorian and West Australian employees. By comparison, 38 per cent of Queensland workers and 37 per cent of South Australian workers take workations.
NSW bosses were also most likely to grant permission for workation (at 40%). Victoria was close behind (37%), followed by Western Australia (35%), South Australia (32%) and Queensland (31%). West Australian employees were most likely to keep their working holiday under wraps, at 9 per cent, close to double the rate in South Australia (4%) and Victoria (5%). In Western Australia, 33 per cent of employees felt disclosure was unnecessary.
David says with remote work evolving, businesses are recognising the benefits of work flexibility, and employees are reaping the rewards. However, he cautions both employees and employers to ensure they are adequately covered for any mishaps while away.
“Workations come with practical considerations. Employees travelling with expensive laptops, phones and other essential tech should ensure they are protected, either through company insurance or a domestic travel policy. Travellers should check if their policy covers lost, stolen or damaged devices while working away.”
“For those considering a workation, transparency is key. With businesses shifting between remote and in-office models, many employers are open to flexible arrangements, but it’s always best practice to ask first,” says David.
Survey results below
Q1. Have you ever taken a personal domestic trip away – even for 1 day – and still worked remotely?
| By sex | |||
| Answer options | Total | Male | Female |
| Yes, and I had approval from my employer | 38% | 43% | 31% |
| Yes, but I didn’t disclose it to my employer | 6% | 8% | 5% |
| No | 57% | 49% | 65% |
| By age and state | ||||||||
| Answer options | 18-29-years | 30-49-years | Over-50s |
NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA |
| Yes, and I had approval from my employer | 46% | 49% | 22% | 40% | 37% | 31% | 32% | 35% |
| Yes, but I didn’t disclose it to my employer | 11% | 7% | 3% | 6% | 5% | 7% | 4% | 9% |
| No | 43% | 44% | 75% | 54% | 57% | 62% | 63% | 57% |
Q2. What was your reason for not disclosing to your employer?
| By sex | |||
| Answer options | Total | Male | Female |
| Concern about employer disapproval | 16% | 18% | 13% |
| Fear the permission would be denied | 35% | 32% | 42% |
| Belief that it wasn’t necessary to disclose | 40% | 42% | 38% |
| Fear that my employer would count it as a holiday | 10% | 8% | 8% |
Over-50s
| By age and state | ||||||||
| Answer options | 18-29-year-olds | 30-49-year-olds | Over-50s |
NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA |
| Concern about employer disapproval | 9% | 19% | 21% | 6% | 21% | 21% | 33% | 16% |
| Fear the permission would be denied | 44% | 35% | 21% | 50% | 36% | 29% | 33% | 35% |
| Belief that it wasn’t necessary to disclose | 39% | 35% | 50% | 39% | 36% | 36% | 33% | 40% |
| Fear that my employer would count it as a holiday | 9% | 12% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 14% | 0% | 10% |
