Workation at valantic DXA

Mediterranean temperatures, friendly people, delicious food and a relaxed vibe - Munich sometimes offers all that too. But the opportunities are definitely greater in Southern Europe. Thanks to our hybrid work model, two colleagues took the opportunity to combine holiday and work. Susi and Maria tell us how it worked out.

Why did you make this journey?

Susi: One reason for the trip to Spain was the opportunity to not only meet colleagues from my team in person, but also to work with them in the same office for a few days. As luck would have it, two other colleagues started in Barcelona at exactly that time, so I was able to help with onboarding right away. But the motivator for the trip was of course also the private desire to travel. That's why we decided not only to stay in Spain, but also to travel to Portugal. There, I was particularly interested in working in a coworking space to get to know other ways of working. I also found it exciting to find out how travelling and working can be combined.

Maria: For me, it was also for several reasons. On the one hand, working abroad always broadens one's horizons and provides new perspectives on other working days, different processes and social interactions. In addition, it was of course a great opportunity to get to know new countries and cities despite working. In addition, like Susi, I wanted to work with my colleagues in Barcelona in person instead of always communicating via teams.

What was the path to approval? Who approved it? Were many discussions necessary?

Susi: Not only did my permission come from Eva, my supervisor at the time, she also explicitly supported me in this and made internal enquiries about what regulations applied and how we could best facilitate the trip.

Maria: I also received approval directly from my lead Sebastian. After a short consultation with Christoph Münch, I already had the application for secondment. There were no reservations, but on the contrary a lot of support.

How were you able to carry out your tasks during the trip?

Susi: Important for me is a laptop, stable internet and the possibility to make phone calls. In Barcelona, we were able to work in our office, where tables were already kept free for us. In Portugal, we used the offer of a coworking space and partly also worked from the Airbnb, so that it was possible to fulfil my tasks at any location.

How was the team feeling in Barcelona?

Maria: The team feeling is very familiar. Everyone immediately went out of their way to make our stay as pleasant as possible. We received tips on places of interest, restaurant recommendations, tips for good coffee or lunch offers around the office. Even in the office, extra seats were prepared and made sure that we didn't want for anything. But also the interaction with each other was great, the colleagues help each other, have fun in the common breaks and everyone is integrated. I felt comfortable all around.

How did the work go in the further course of the journey?

Maria: In Porto, I had a coworking space that was fortunately open 24/7, so the time difference was no problem. In Lisbon, I worked directly from the AirBnb due to a lack of suitable offers.

Susi: Due to the many experiences outside, I was also all the more professionally motivated.

Do you think Workation is a model for the future?

Susi: I think it depends on your personality how structured and focused you remain when many things around you do not correspond to the "normal" or usual working conditions. But it's certainly a very good way to reconcile the desire to travel and work.

Maria: Definitely! Coworking spaces are everywhere now and everything is designed for remote work. This means that you can definitely guarantee that the work can be done from a different location and you can even meet new people and socially definitely have a benefit of being able to exchange ideas with people from other industries.

Thank you for your answers and the great insights into your journey!