For all those travelling for work this week – new research from International SOS highlights exactly why it is important to take a balanced approach to travel.
Close to one million Australians travel overseas for work each year[1], but in doing so they potentially face an increased risk of stress, depression and anxiety that can have far-reaching consequences.
New research by International SOS has identified that travelling through different time zones (‘jetlag’), poor sleep and diet, a lack of work/life balance and social isolation from friends and family are the top stress factors for business travellers.
The survey of almost 100 companies from Australia and New Zealand, part of a cross-regional study by International SOS, found 44% do not provide mental health support to their business travellers. Less than half of the companies who do provide support proactively communicate the emotional support offered to their business travellers.
“As links between the mental well-being of staff and business productivity become increasingly evident, executives and managers need to take into account the emotional well-being of their mobile workforce,” said Dr Andrew Ebringer, Regional Medical Director.
“Failed international business assignments cost companies, on average, $950,000. Companies invest in the success of their mobile workforce’s business trips and overseas assignments but often overlook emotional support systems that can decrease the likelihood of a failed assignment.”
It is not just people who are away for long periods who need emotional support. Those who have shorter but frequent trips rarely see their workload reduced to offset the time away from their desk. This can produce anxiety as work continues to accumulate, while the impact on life at home through the loss of a family role and an imbalance in domestic responsibility can be significant2.
“Organisations sending employees on short or long-term assignments abroad need to consider pre-trip emotional support that is appropriate for the destination and reactive response support systems that can be implemented quickly in times of an unexpected incident or accident,” said Dr Ebringer.
The top incidents that have had the most impact on business travellers in the past are:
– Working in a high-risk environment (country or workplace at risk…) at 50%
– Personal incident (sexual assault, theft and robbery, road traffic accident, workplace injury…) at 45%
– Terrorist or environmental incident (earthquake) at 33%
– Death or severe injuries of a colleague at 21%
It is estimated that 45% of Australians will have some kind of mental disorder at some point in their lives, yet 87% of organisations surveyed do not have a mental health screening process for employees either pre- or post-travel.
For more information on how to maintain your balance while travelling check out these top tips from our special guests and coaches.
Simplify, Structure and Succeed with Business and Life Coach Shannah Kennedy
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Lee Tulloch: The nervous traveller
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About the survey
The 2017 Business Travel and Emotional Support Survey is a cross-regional International SOS survey conducted in Australasia from 1st August to 16th October 2017 and in Europe from 27th April to 30th June, targeted to those who are responsible for the health, safety and well-being of their mobile workers. The survey findings represent the responses from nearly 100 of Australia and New Zealand’s leading organizations and 139 organisations in 13 countries in Europe.
[1] Based on ABS data showing 8 million Australians travelled overseas during 2012, 10% of which travelled for business purposes. https://auspost.com.au/travel-essentials/how-australians-travel
2Based on the 2015 study ‘A darker side of hypermobility’ by Scott Cohen & Stefan Gossling. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0308518X15597124
3Based on the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing from 2007, of the 16 million Australians aged 16-85 years, almost half (45% of 7.3 million) had a lifetime mental disorder, ie a mental disorder at some point in their life. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4326.0Main%20Features32007
