Leaving it to chance?

Only 22 per cent of business travellers say they are given a comprehensive briefing about their destination and just 23 per cent are provided with an 'out of hours' emergency contact ahead of business trips, according to a recent poll of regular travellers.

Commissioned by World Travel Protection, conducted by Opinium, and shared exclusively with BTN Europe, the research canvassed more than 500 business travellers in May this year to paint a picture of corporates' attitudes to risk mitigation, wellbeing and bleisure trips.

“The world has changed since the pandemic and it’s more important than ever to get up to speed with the risks and altered landscape,” says Kate Fitzpatrick, regional security director, UK, at World Travel Protection.

“Organisations need to provide in-depth briefings to their travelling teams to ensure that any risk in travel is minimised,” says Fitzpatrick. This includes providing information on everything from health situations – such as Covid and Monkey Pox – to checking the weather for the likelihood of extreme events, and of course intelligence on socio-political issues, including upcoming elections or planned protests. “All of these can have a dramatic impact on a stay.”

Read on to learn more about business travellers' attitudes to travel-related risks and safety, personal wellbeing and 'bleisure' travel's place in a post-Covid environment.

SAFETY FIRST

of business travellers think their employer could do more to keep them safe when travelling

of business travellers say they are offered a full briefing from their organisation on their destination

of business travellers are provided with an emergency number to call out of business hours

of business travellers receive regular check-ins from their organisation to ensure safety and comfort whilst travelling

of business travellers say their employer lets them do their own travel research on business destinations

of business travellers say their organisation uses a travel risk management company

of business travellers have access to a travel risk app with, for example, security alerts and an emergency contact

“Ensuring your staff know what to do and know what help is available if anything does go wrong is a very basic duty of care so it’s worrying to hear that so few business travellers say they have this support,” says Fitzpatrick. “It’s also concerning that while this support may be available in the form of a travel risk management company, the information is clearly not reaching the right people. There was a lot of job movement during the pandemic, and one reason may be that new staff who joined just before or during the pandemic and have not travelled yet for business are unaware of the travel support available.”

WELLBEING IMPLICATIONS

of business travellers say they have felt negative emotions whilst on work trips, including stress, anxiety, exhaustion and loneliness

of business travellers say their work has been affected on a business trip by issues such as stress and anxiety

of business travellers have suffered from or know a colleague impacted by harassment or exclusion when travelling on business

of business travellers say wellbeing is a priority for their organisation

of business travellers say they don’t feel their wellbeing is taken seriously

While duty of care has been on corporates' radar for many years, focus on traveller wellbeing – employees' mental and physical health – has gained momentum over the last decade or so. Some corporates are now tracking metrics such as hours spent on planes, time zones crossed or days away from home in order to identify those most at risk of fatigue or stress, for example. “Looking after your staff’s wellbeing is crucial, especially when they’re working overseas. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it is actually an investment, as an individual’s poor wellbeing will have a significant effect on their productivity and effectiveness at work,” says Luke Banks, regional chief medical officer UK/Europe, World Travel Protection.

BLURRED LINES OF 'BLEISURE'

of business travellers have combined a work trip with a holiday or leisure activities

of business travellers say their organisation has a clear policy or guidelines on bleisure

of business travellers say their wellbeing and productivity improves if a work trip has downtime to relax

of business travellers say they will only go on business trips when they can have leisure time

of business travellers say their organisation specifies employees should not partake in activities considered high-risk during free time on work trips

of business travellers say adding holiday to business trips is not permitted by their organisation

When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, some commentators proclaimed it would mark the death of bleisure travel – the addition of a holiday or leisure time to a business trip. Instead, what has been widely witnessed, is the rise of remote working, more generous employment terms, and even more questions around bleisure policies. What the survey also reveals is that most organisations do not have a clear approach to bleisure, which is “leaving many business travellers at sea with what is and isn’t allowed,” says Fitzpatrick.

“A lot will obviously depend on an organisation’s risk profile and travel insurance policy, but there’s clearly a need for organisations to put in place unambiguous policies and guidelines to prioritise employees’ wellbeing, as well as their ability to do a good job while away from home.”

Fitzpatrick adds: “It can be tempting for organisations to pack itineraries to the max, including evening team socials, but these can be wearing for travellers when they’re already acclimatising to a new time zone, different surroundings and potentially a new culture. Instead, building some leisure activities into a trip, away from the work environment, or merely allowing travelling teams time to do their own thing whilst still ensuring their overall safety might reap dividends for their overall productivity and wellbeing.”