More than one in five business travelers said traveling for work negatively affected their mental health, according to a new study.
Conducted by YouGov on behalf of travel booking and management provider NexTravel, the online survey canvassed more than 510 U.S. adults who had traveled for business during the 12 months preceding October 2019.
Among the survey's findings, 22 percent of respondents reported that business travel had a "very" or "somewhat" negative impact on their mental health. Twenty-one percent indicated that even thinking about an upcoming work trip caused stress. Factors causing that angst include the toll travel takes on physical health, sleep schedules, personal relationships, personal finances and productivity, according to the survey.
NexTravel recommended several steps companies can take to address those issues and reduce their employees' travel-related stress.
Those include offering flexibility to allow travelers to choose the booking options they most desire; for instance, some employees may be willing to take a less desirable flight if it means they can apply their travel budget to a better hotel room. A policy more open to bleisure travel could help travelers more fully experience destinations—cited as a desire by 34 percent of survey respondents. Twenty-two percent of respondents said they'd consider changing jobs if another company offered better bleisure perks, such as the ability to stay for extra days or bring along family members.