Seventy-three percent of international business travelers say their quality of sleep suffers when traveling, according to Keeping International Business Travelers Healthy, Happy and Engaged, at Home and Away. For the white paper, International SOS, Kingston Business School and Affinity Health at Work surveyed 195 people who traveled internationally for business, most of whom were based in Europe.
Forty-one percent reported that their moods suffered while traveling on business, and 45 percent say their business trips increased their stress. Depression was the most commonly experienced mental health issue (27 percent), followed by stress (24 percent) and anxiety (23 percent). One in five were offered mental health support by their organizations, while a quarter had wellness programs available and 34 percent had employee assistance programs. Almost a third experienced emotional exhaustion weekly.
Still, nearly three-quarters see business travel as an opportunity for adventure and exploration, and 59 percent see it as an opportunity to enjoy freedom from home life. The white paper's authors found this view regressed the more years a person had been traveling for work. Additionally, 37 percent reported they do not have sufficient choice and control over their business trips.
Risky & Unhealthy Behaviors
Just over a third are more likely to engage in risky behaviors on the road than when at home. That includes visiting bars and nightclubs; traveling to unsafe areas; riding in vehicles without seatbelts or, as needed, helmets; and eating in potentially unhygienic places. When traveling for business, 76 percent ate less balanced diets, 73 percent exercised less and 46 percent consumed more alcohol.
Family/Social/Work Life
Seventy-eight percent of respondents reported that they worked more hours than usual when traveling; nearly a quarter worked many more hours than usual. Sixty-seven percent of international business travelers experience work-family conflict. Seventy-four percent find it difficult to fulfill family obligations. The same percentage said work-related duties forced them to make changes to planned family activities. Forty percent reported sufficient balance between home and work lives, while 39 percent disagreed.