The boss of an Australian marketing agency decided to treat employees to a two-week trip to Bali for a unique working experience.
The entire team of Soup Agency, based in Sydney, was taken away on an expenses-paid trip to Bali, Indonesia. However, the trip was not for vacation--it was a working holiday. It means the staff still needed to work on laptops for hours but had lots of time to enjoy various activities for 14 days in the mountainous Ubud region for a teambuilding and wellness extravaganza.
It was remote working plus morning hikes, quad biking, yoga, and, of course, eating and drinking. They even dipped in ethereal waterfalls and snorkeled to discover the underwater attractions, per The Sun.
For the first time, coworkers from various departments were able to collaborate and form bonds.
The agency stated that, as a young business with many team members working remotely, it was interested in challenging the concept of a conventional corporate office.
Redefining Remote Work
The company boss claimed that their first working holiday allowed team development and improved morale. The COVID-19 pandemic served as an inspiration for them since it demonstrated that people could successfully do their jobs remotely.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, Managing Director Katya Vakulenko underscored the importance of fostering good relationships at work.
"I think it's important for workplaces to all work together as a team, both inside and outside of working hours," she said."COVID-19 taught us that there are new ways of working and essentially, we can work from anywhere. So we decided to take that to the next level."
The group even had a birthday celebration in Bali. Michelle from digital marketing celebrated her 24th birthday by hiking up a volcano in the early morning.
Stories shared on the firm's Instagram page showed employees working poolside and holding meetings in stunning locations.
Digital marketing executive, Kumi Ho, described her experience as "refreshing." "It was definitely an experience in life that I won't forget."
On LinkedIn, Soup Agency posted about its recent remote work experience in Bali: "Work-life balance is important to all of us, that was why we thought a working holiday in Bali was a great opportunity for a team bonding experience! Safe to say that we were able to work productively and collaboratively during work hours. Where should we go next?"
According to the report, the agency has already started planning their next "working holiday" - this time to Europe.
Indonesia Invites Freelancers To Do Their Jobs in Bali
Other companies can also have the same experience in Bali as Indonesia ramps up its tourism industry, per a LAD Bible report.
Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia's tourism minister, told the media recently that he hoped the five-year "digital nomad visa" would attract up to 3.6 million foreign tourists and generate one million employment for Indonesians.
According to Uno, freelancers can live tax-free on islands like Bali as long as their income originates outside Indonesia under the proposed remote working visa.
Uno believes Indonesian tourism should shift from a "sun, sea, and sand" orientation and emphasize "serenity, spirituality, and sustainability" instead.
"This way we're getting better quality and better impact on the local economy," the tourism minister added.
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