The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to fore a unique situation. Offices are shut or working with minimal staff and staggered timings, while many companies have asked employees to continue working from home at least till the end of the year. It’s a new experience for organisations, but the smarter ones are learning fast as they gradually realise that several overheads can be done away with, without compromising on the productivity of employees even when they are working remotely. In fact there are reports that organisations are witnessing heightened productivity from their WFH employees.
While there will still be companies who would rather risk the health of their employees by asking them to come to office, but the broader consensus is that work from home or WFH is now the new normal and is here to stay at least till the end of this year.
Remove the stress from WFH:
Even though work from home seems very hunky dory, in reality it is not easy for most people. To be cooped-up in your house day in and day out is challenging to say the least. Plus, restless kids with no school put added pressure on working parents who are at a loss as to how to burn their energy – understandable for the kids though. Add to it the disruptions, having to part with your laptop or mobile because the kid’s online classes are on.
Meanwhile, since the WFH trend commenced after the nationwide lockdown, the number of meetings have gone up, are lengthier and the general perception of the management that employees might be having a great time at their homes on the company’s clock, has put added pressure on employees.
So it’s very important that professionals working from home should remove this daily stress before it starts affecting their health. And the best way to do that is by taking a workation – take a home in the mountains for longer lease and work from there without any disruptions.
Workation in the Himalayas in mind? Here’s what to look out for:
- The quality of internet in terms of speed and reliability. While many homestays may have high speed internet and the owners will boast of it with speed test screenshots, the reliability can be a big issue. What is the use of a high speed internet if the down-time is considerably high? So, ask if the homestay owners have alternatives too in addition to the primary connection.
- Choose a location that has fewer distractions. Ideally, on a vacation we tend to spend more. But this is not just a vacation, it’s a work-vacation. So choose a location where you can work, enjoy and also not overspend on things that will cease to be of any interest to you a couple of days later. Choose lesser known locations in the mountains where you can breathe in the fresh air and satisfy your hunger pangs and cravings with some fresh local fare rather than pizzas or burgers from the assembly line.
- Staying safe is of utmost importance in these times. So choose a location in the Himalayas for your longer stay that has fewer people and maintaining physical distancing is not difficult at all. In short, avoid known tourist destinations or hill-stations.
- Ensure the property you book has a full-time caretaker. While now you may feel that you can cook your meals yourself, but after a couple of days you might be on a Maggi and just bread-butter diet, which certainly doesn’t bode well for your health. So go for a homestay that has a caretaker who can take care of the kitchen, while you balance your work and family time.
- If you have pets, make sure you opt for a pet-friendly homestay. Point 3 where I said, opt for a location that sees fewer people, will yet again help you here. In a remote location, even you can let your pet have some fun by not tying her/him to the leash during walks. Nothing can be more satisfying than to watch your pet having fun, right?
Why working from Katie’s Abode, Hartola can be fun and satisfying:
A workation at Katie’s Abode, Hartola can not only be productive, but will also be pleasurable, rejuvenating, and rewarding. The homestay offers great views of the Himalayan snow-capped peaks from the rooms and sit-outs. Anywhere you sit, you’ll get a view of the undulating landscape of a forested mountain area which is a feast for weary eyes.
Because our home is located in a quaint little hamlet, but not very far from the major cities, physical distancing, which is an utmost necessity in these times of coronavirus pandemic, comes naturally. There are just about a 150 houses with a population of around 200-300 people around our homestay who are hardly visible. It’s so quiet here that you can hear yourself breathing—that’s how quiet it is!
Our homestay has a high speed broadband connection with wifi. And if that’s not enough, we also have a dongle with unlimited and high speed plan, just to ensure that your mountain office operates 24 x 7 without any interruptions.
Our caretaker, Joshiji, may not be a Michelin star chef, but he can rustle up pretty decent food and some of his local dishes can be absolutely finger-licking good. Being a homestay, we don’t have room service. Nevertheless, our caretaker is here on the property the entire day. So, ingredients permitting, you can ask him to cook a fresh, tasty and hygienic meal for you. Although the kitchen is not out of bounds for guests, we would rather see you spend time with your family or finish off with that office presentation rather than cook in the kitchen. But, of course, if the cook in you is raring to go, you’re most welcome to try out your culinary skills. If you have anything fancy in mind, we would suggest that you bring along the ingredients to avoid disappointment. There’s an OTG and a micro available for use too.
Now if you have a pet, you will perhaps not find a better place than Katie’s Abode, Hartola. Our homestay itself is named after our pet-daughter, Katie. So you can understand that we can go an extra mile for pets. Plus, you don’t need to put your pet on the leash even when you take her/him for the walks. However we have some pet rules which pet-parents have to follow. This is in the best interest of us all.
Enough said! Take a look at our website, and our homestay images and you will definitely love to call it your home too!
Since this is our first year of operations, we are offering limited early bird offers on bookings. Our tariffs are (for a couple on room-sharing basis with three meals):
Weekly: Rs 15,918
This includes:
- Room charges
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner on a preset menu
- Unlimited tea
- Internet usage
- Taxes
Doesn’t include:
- Order of snacks
- Use of ration from the kitchen in case of self-cooking. In case guests bring their own ration, they are welcome to use the kitchen without any extra charges.
Monthly: Rs 58,220
This includes:
- Room charges
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner on a preset menu
- Unlimited tea
- Internet usage
- Taxes
Doesn’t include:
- Order of snacks
- Use of ration from the kitchen in case of self-cooking. In case guests bring their own ration, they are welcome to use the kitchen without any extra charges.
To book your workation, send us a mail to bookings@katiesabode.in . You can also whatsapp the details to +91-9999509850. For more on our homestay, visit our website www.katiesabode.in
