#WinterEscapeMonth — How did we organize our first workation, and why will we do it again?

A month-long, abroad workation trip with all your workmates. What would you say? Maybe it seems desirable, but impossible and a little weird at the same time? That’s what we also thought from the very beginning, until we did it! How did we put our spin on the workation trend, and what do our people think about it? See for yourself!

The concept of #WinterEscapeMonth that crossed our Head of People’s mind was welcomed with open arms among people. Working remotely from sunny Cyprus in the middle of February, spending some time with your workmates, and chilling in the sun after working hours sounds like a pretty cool opportunity. On the other hand, I bet some of you have already started wondering if it is possible and would it make you happy to spend a whole month with your co-workers? We are all human, and even though friendships and good relationships are undeniably one of SwingDev’s assets, everyone has different needs and habits, which might have caused misunderstandings. We had our concerns about spending such a long time together, but now we know how it worked for us.

“At first, I was a bit skeptical about the idea. Living with more than 20 people from work squeezed together did not sound like something I would enjoy. I was so wrong! #WinterEscapeMonth was one of the most phenomenal trips I’ve ever participated in, and from my side, it was only thanks to awesome people who made it happen that way. During those peculiar times, I appreciated the amazing opportunity to have fun and work closely with my colleagues, daily located in different parts of Poland. Finally, I spent the whole month in Cyprus, and I rate it 11/10. I would escape again!”

Michał, Senior QA Engineer — 3 years at SwingDev

“Even though it was a business trip, during the whole workation I felt like I was away with a group of close friends. A relaxing atmosphere, positivity, and lots of unforgettable memories, which we will keep coming back to until Swing surprises us with a new idea again.”

Adrian, Front-end Developer — 10 months at SwingDev

“Being in Cyprus with the entire team was that type of experience that filled me with an incredible amount of happiness. Every day brought a new adventure with unique moments. Between working, we found the time to get to know each other on a personal level, cooked many delicious meals together, and played so many games that brought laughter. Truly an experience I’ll be forever grateful for!”

Gialdo, Head of Design — 1,5 years at SwingDev

Welcome to Cyprus!

Since the COVID 19 pandemic outbreak, organizing a group trip has been more demanding than it used to be a few years ago. The rules on visiting countries have been changing, so to let everyone benefit from the opportunity, we had to keep ourselves updated and check everything twice. We bent over backward to find the right place to live and work together comfortably. Finally, 28 out of 55 people decided to take the opportunity, packed their bags, and escaped with their workmates from Polish winter!

In the first round, 16 of us came to the island. We stayed in two villas with an outdoor heated swimming pool, a garden with a barbecue, a roof terrace with a jacuzzi, and a seaside view. Villas also featured airy living rooms with spacious tables and well-equipped kitchens so we could prepare something tasty whenever we wanted. As it was off-season, the city was calm and quiet — perfect for simply getting some rest, which we took advantage of.

However, it was neither about the villas nor the swimming pool. As always, it was all about people. Spending time together was a pleasure and real fun. Each of us worked and spent our free time in our own way, but the workation had its one great advantage (or disadvantage for some😉) — there were always people around you. You could easily find mates to play PS, board or card games, play billiards, take a walk or go for a trip together. There was always a chance to hang out and enjoy conversation with someone, which was a new perspective for those who work remotely daily.

“We could truly get to know each other, not only by having all this fun but also by all the memorable conversations while admiring the view from Cape Greco or just sitting on the couch in our tracksuits. We could forget about winter — leave our warm jackets and enjoy life and our company as never before.”

Julka, Junior IT Recruitment Specialist — 1,5 years at SwingDev

Once you decided you were going, it didn’t mean you were obliged to spend the whole month there. Even though people were enthusiastic about the concept, we knew that flexibility was important. There are people at different stages of life among us, with their obligations and concerns, limits, and simply different needs. So, we let people decide on their own as we usually do. Some of us made the most of the opportunity and stayed for the whole month. Others arrived for a week or two, or just a few days. Some people liked it so much, that they bought a ticket to Cyprus on their own, and came back for the last week of the workation shortly after returning to Poland.🙂

“ It was a great opportunity to meet so many SwingDev people at once and spend more than just a couple of hours together. From my perspective, it was even more beneficial, as I work remotely daily, and usually I don’t have a chance to talk with people face to face. So, once I had to fly away and say goodbye, I decided to go back to spend more time with the awesome team which I left there. Once you spend some of your private time with mates you work with, it gets easier to communicate on business cases. It was also useful to see other teams while working, syncing up, and simply doing their stuff. It helped me understand how our work merges, which is cool.”

• Robert, Senior Android Developer — 7 months at SwingDev

Choosing the direction with a high frequency of back and forth flights was crucial from the parent’s perspective.

“I was only in Cyprus for a week, but I still managed to have more meaningful conversations than those conducted during remote work. I personally used the occasion to have a week off from my everyday responsibilities as a parent and a husband. You just can’t get a better excuse for flying to another part of the continent for such a long time. I hope the next event of this type happens soon!”

• Wojtek, Senior Back-end Developer — 3,5 years at SwingDev

As the workation took place between February and March, some new people onboarded to SwingDev. Well, we believe any time is good to join our company, but we can’t imagine better timing! How is it to start your new job with a workation abroad?

“What I got from the start was the WOW effect! While talking with my friends about the upcoming change in my professional life, I could also show off this idea. Reactions? “Let me know when you will be looking for new employees!”😉 The truth is, I got the best work tool I could ever ask for. A chance to meet the people who built this company, not only in a professional, but also private context. It was a unique opportunity to feel the swing vibe and find out what counts here and what those people believe.”

• Magda, Employer Branding Expert — 3 months at SwingDev

Our #WinterEscapeMonth was undeniably something we would like to add to our perks list. We all agreed on the benefits it brought us as we chilled and took care of our mental health. However, we are aware a month-long workation trip isn’t for everyone. For some, working from the sunbeds may seem non-ergonomic and uncomfortable, and it’s ok. Nevertheless, everyone from SwingDev found favorable working conditions in Cyprus that were perfectly fine.🙂 Like everything else, our workation had its pros and cons, depending on each perspective. What do we value the most? It allowed us to see ourselves as specialists, people, and friends. For us, that’s it. That is why it’s worth it.