Coworking firm pioneers work-from-beach offering in PH

The country’s leading coworking space provider KMC Solutions seeks to help corporate clients retain lockdown-weary talent while supporting the bludgeoned tourism industry by pioneering work-from-the-beach arrangements.

KMC Solutions has teamed up with resorts to enable its clients, members and own staff to work from postcard-pretty locations across the Philippines at discounted rates under its “Flex by KMC” “workcation” offering.

KMC Solutions has so far signed up resorts such as Bravo, in “surfing capital” Siargao Island, Hue Hotels and Resorts in Boracay, and Amorita Resort in Panglao Island, Bohol for its workcation program.

“Being outdoors does wonders for your mental health and physical health,” Gian Reyes, KMC Solutions vice president for marketing and strategic partnerships, said in an interview with the Inquirer on Tuesday.

Asked about the extent of discounts offered under this workcation arrangement, Reyes said it’s “upwards of 50 percent.”

Flex is designed as an incentive that clients can purchase for their staff as a reward so they can lounge by the beach while still staying productive. Reyes said this could be a way for companies to keep their most valued employees, especially the young people, amid what economists refer to as the “great resignation” or the phenomenon of millennials quitting their jobs in search of more money, more flexibility and more happiness.

For the resorts that KMC Solutions will enlist under this program, every room must be properly equipped with a productivity space, consisting of desk and chair, reliable internet for optimal working, and in the future, productivity coaches on demand.

“With extended lockdowns in the Philippines and more people experiencing fatigue and mental health issues from isolation, and being true to our vision of ‘making work + life better,’ we wanted to offer a way to find a better work-life balance that is truly inspiring,” said Reyes. “Likewise, due to a significant decrease in tourism, we’re also supporting resort operators,” he added. INQ