Business travel is sometimes a necessary evil when it comes to getting the job done. While it can be exciting at times to travel from one location to the other, there are a number of negative effects that this type of job can have too. There are also a number of things that both the employer and employee can do to make the stresses of business travel a little easier to endure.
While traveling to exotic and exciting locations can be a benefit and enjoyable part of a job, there are a number of jobs where travel is required and the locations are not the kind of places that people dream about going to. Sometimes when traveling to such locations, the accommodations available are not always the best either. Also, many business travelers have spouses and sometimes children that they are not able to interact with on a personal level when they are traveling out of town on business. While business travel can be necessary and fun at the same time, there are also times and circumstances when the employee may wish that it wasn’t part of their job.
Here are some useful tips to ease the negative effects of business travel on everyone involved.
Family Travel
Many companies have found that when they on occasion either allow or even pay to have the family members of a business traveler accompany them on a necessary trip, it can pay off for the company too because they can end up with a more satisfied and happy employee. Most managers are aware that employees that are happy in their work are often the most productive. This isn’t something that has to be done on every out of town travel occasion, but when done now and then it can be of benefit to both the company and the employee.
Company Reservations
When an employee is thinking about the actual things that apply to them performing the duties of their job as well as the things they have to take care of for their partner or family while they are going to be out of town, the last thing they want to worry about is also handling the hotel and rental car reservations. There are a couple of benefits that a company can experience if they have in-house personnel who handle making travel reservations for their business travelers. First, again this can positively affect the productivity of the employee as it is less for him to have to deal with and distract him from the actual job he is doing. Second, It can also lead to the company benefiting financially as a dedicated travel coordinator will become familiar with hotel and rental car discounts as well as be able to handle the entire process in a much faster and more efficient manner.
Quality Accomodations
While it is not always necessary for a business traveler to be booked into five star hotels as they travel around the country or world, it can be nice and also beneficial to getting the job done if the traveler can at least be booked into quality hotels. Anything that doesn’t increase the cost of the trip too much but can also make for a better experience for the business traveler should be done. Often things like free wireless internet and continental breakfasts not only make for a more pleasant stay for the traveler, but make it easier for them to get more work done in a more efficient way as well.
Realistic Reimbursements
While some companies provide their business travelers with a company credit card for expenses while they are on the road, there are a number of other expenses that the company may want to cover or partially cover too. Often an out of town trip for an employee means that they may have to incur expenses that the company doesn’t think about, especially if the trip is on short or no notice. Things like extra child care, pet boarding, lawn upkeep and other expense can sometimes be expenses that the employee only has due to their having to go on an unexpected business trip. There are also a number of small on the road expenses that an employee may pay out of their pocket. Reimbursing the employee for all realistic expenses that are accrued because of the business trip is a good strategy for most companies to follow.
Personalized Business Travel
Not every employee is in the same boat in terms of how business travel affects their life. For those employees that frequently travel, a company should find out if there are any individualized features or perks that would make their trip and life better. One employee may appreciate a rental car with more leg room while another employee may prefer a smaller more maneuverable vehicle. There are also cases in which an employee may prefer a hotel that isn’t rated as highly but has more features like a bigger swimming pool, an exercise room or a steam room. Designing business travel specifics to a specific employee can pay off when the traveler has a better attitude based on how their trip has gone.
The Importance Of Communication
Whether it is by email or instant messaging through a company issued laptop computer or through easy communication via a company paid cellular phone, management needs to be aware of the benefits of good communication. Providing business travelers with consistent and reliable ways to contact the home office and their co-workers can alleviate a lot of stress that may arise when members of a team aren’t aware of how each team member is performing. Communication also applies to the personal life of the business traveler in that a happier traveler is one who can communicate with their family at home in a rather easy way. There are often daily decisions that need to be made by the coming together of the two heads of household, if one cannot be contacted easily it could lead to more stress on the employee which could also lead to them being less productive. This can also be a safety issue so that a family that is back home can easily contact the traveler if there is an emergency.
The Reintegration Process
After a lengthy business trip, it may be difficult for a business traveler to immediately jump back into their old role either at the office or at home. A manager and co-workers need to understand that certain circumstances may have necessitated a business traveler to work under different conditions and different hours while they were out of town and that there may be a need for some time to be given before expecting them to reintegrate into the workplace atmosphere harmoniously. Families also need to understand that business travelers may have just spent long hours on the road working late and not thinking as much about every family issue, it may take time for them to ease back into their role amongst the family.
Business travel is often a necessity, sometimes it is looked forward to and sometimes it is something that workers dread. Anything that can be easily done to make the trip less stressful and more enjoyable by the company should be done if possible. A business traveler also needs to understand that life is not perfect while out of town on the road and they may need to make adjustments to their life as well. Both the traveler as well as the family they leave behind need to work together and understand that although they would much rather all be together, the business trip that is being taken is in fact necessary to their job. While business travel can have many negative effects on the life of a business traveler, there are also a great number of things that the traveler, company and the family left behind can do to make it easier on everyone involved.
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March 29th, 2009 at 4:30 am
Quality accomodations are the most important thing. You can save a few bucks by going to a cheaper hotel, but the service is not worth it. If I go on a business trip, I want WiFi in my room with a good speed and more options than a crappy bed with no couch.