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    Tag: mental health

    -Brief Business Travel Insights

    18 Mar 2024
    Article

    The impact of business travel on mental wellbeing

    Business travel can have serious implications for people’s health and mental wellbeing. It is now firmly on the agenda as a workplace mental health issue.

    A study conducted by the International SOS Foundation has revealed that business trips contribute to behavioural changes in people in the workplace. These include depression, stress and anxiety.

    Some of this is down to how technology has actually extended people’s working hours while travelling, because of its accessibility.

    However, there is also considerable stress involved in the process of travelling and being on the road a lot of the time.

    The research indicates that many organisations do not have sufficient mental health resources in place, or a workplace wellness programme.

    International Business Travel and Mental Health

    The research interviewed 200 business travellers. 45% said they felt more stressed on business trips, while 31% felt emotionally exhausted. Over a quarter of respondents said they experienced more prevalent mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

    There are also a physical health implications, with people travelling for business less likely to have a balanced diet or to get much exercise, or even much good quality sleep.

    The problem is that while international business travel opens up opportunities, it also comes at a cost to wellbeing.

    Safeguarding Health and Business Continuity

    What measures can organisations and companies take to try and safeguard employees who are travelling on their behalf?

    The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is clear about the measures for tackling stress, and about the impact stress can have, with over 11 million days a year lost through stress in the workplace.

    But how does stress risk management translate to business travel?

    There are various stress factors associated with business travel.

    Some of these are common to other work situations, including sudden, unexpected workloads, unclear reporting lines and responsibilities, and rapidly changing circumstances.

    However, they may also suffer from specific, travel-related stress factors, including: a lack of peer support, or other support network; isolation from family and friends; and jet lag.

    These factors also include lack of sleep, lack of exercise and poor diet, as mentioned above.

    Symptoms of poor mental health can appear as impaired performance, poor concentration and erratic emotional behaviour.

    Better Support for Business Travellers

    More organisations must consider implementing procedures aimed at reducing the mental health risks of business travellers.

    Just as mental wellbeing within the workplace has become much more widely recognised, so the impact of business-related travel on employees, along with remote working, needs careful consideration.

    There are internal measures businesses and organisations can take to support employees, such as wellness programmes and resilience training, counselling and regular employee surveys.

    However, they should also consider the conditions and quality of business travel, and what practical support there is to improve the business travel experience.

    One such area of dedicated support is Executive car services, providing expert business and chauffeur class transfers.

    Here, the focus is on ensuring passengers get all the support they need to reduce any stress and remove the uncertainties and inconvenience associated with business travel.

    For more information about our specialist services, please complete our online contact form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.

    -Brief Business Travel Insights

    10 Dec 2023
    Article

    Can chauffeur cars ease the stress of air travel?

    If work-related stress is seen as a 21st century disease, then intense business travel schedules are likely to make it more acute. This is especially true of business air travel.

    However, while chauffeur class transfers cannot affect what goes on in the air, they can very much help to soften its impact on the ground and significantly improve the passenger’s overall experience.

    Why Business Travel is Stressful

    There is the whole business of organising and administering business travel. This includes booking tickets and hotel accommodation, working out schedules, often with some fire-fighting thrown in when things do not go according to plan.

    The whole process of travel can be stressful, and the stress is cumulative: from being separated from family for prolonged periods, to the busy clamour of airports; and the experience of the flight itself.

    Furthermore, flight travel is often subject to delays and other disruptive issues, such as loss of luggage.

    One of the most frequently sited sources of stress for frequent flyers is the loss of time due to delays, as well as time spent in the air.

    Many senior business executives travel so much that their stress levels have no time to re-set themselves. Research suggests that frequent air travellers experience different levels of stress to occasional travellers.

    There is also the issue of travelling alone, and how this also contributes to the stress of business travel.

    Behavioural and Health Risks

    Analysis of data from research by the Global Business Air Travel Association and American Express reveals that there are common threats to health that are largely ignored when it comes to corporate travel advice.

    These include stress, sleep interruption and unhealthy eating and drinking.

    Frequent business air travel can have a lifestyle impact, and, over time, these issues can increase the risk of chronic diseases.

    Another potential psychological impact from air travel comes with air rage. Flying makes people angry. It comes from a combination of experiencing a loss of control and of difficulty in empathising with others.

    All these factors can then have a negative impact on business performance.

    If business executives are travelling by air, what can they do to help them feel more at ease, and more business-ready when they reach their destination point?

    The Benefit of Chauffeur Class Transfers The first and last mile or so of a journey can be critical in affecting the overall outcome for the passenger.

    This is something that informs the delivery of chauffeur class transfers.

    It is about much more than getting business executives from A to B. It is about the whole journey experience and ensuring that passengers using executive car services can expect some aspects of their journey to be comfortable, reliable and seamless.

    Will this alleviate the effects of stressful air travel?

    They are not a complete cure, obviously, but executive chauffeur class transfers can make a big difference at crucial points in a journey.

    They can reassure the traveller when their journey commences that they are on schedule and that the details are taken care of.

    And at the end of a journey, they can provide a much-needed source of comfort and efficiency, in preparation for the day’s business ahead.

    For more information about Driven Worldwide’s chauffeur class transfer services, please complete our online contact form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.