Any road warrior can tell you that business travel isn’t always glamorous. Time on the road is exhausting, and it also can take a toll on an employee’s personal life. University researchers in the United Kingdom documented the consequences in their 2015 study, A Darker Side of Hypermobility, which explores the physiological, psychological and social effects of extensive travel.
In a recent Advito Out Front blog, Lesley O’Bryan, a vice president and practice leader for the business travel consultancy, considers what the research means for on-the-road employees. She also offers solutions for travel managers trying to curb traveler fatigue. For example, counter what the researchers call a business traveler’s “reduced ability to participate fully in family life” by making it easier for them to stay home sometimes.
“A comprehensive global collaboration program can include phone, video conferencing and telepresence in addition to live travel,” O’Bryan writes. “With the right program and technology in place, teams can work together from anywhere at a fraction of the cost, without having to leave their families.”
