MENTAL HEALTH
as it gave me the opportunity to look at it from a completely different perspective. There are many business travellers who are stuck in that cycle and it has a major impact not only on their mental wellbeing but those of their family, friends and other people around them.”
Since setting up Simpila two-and-a-half years
ago, Holman has spoken to a large number of people in senior positions who travel extensively and he’s discovered that the challenges that they face are “rather scary”. These include combating rush-hour travel on the way to the airport, fretting about check-in times at both the airport and the destination hotel, encountering “overwhelmed” lounges, experiencing long periods of inertia on the flight, drinking and eating to excess (because it's often free on the flight, in the lounges and at the conferences they attend), jetlag, poor sleep patterns, feelings of isolation and loneliness, and the numerous issues of dealing with clients and colleagues in different time zones. “There's this feeling among business travellers that they’re constantly on duty, answering emails at all times of the day, their phones always on… it’s this blue-screen issue,” he emphasises. “I used to have a team in Asia as well as in America and Europe, so I was getting messages all times of the day in different regions and there never seemed to be a defined nine-to-five existence.” When there were problems on a trip abroad it
was, Holman says, a case of: “We care where you are, we’re just not that bothered how you feel about where you are.”
buyingbusinesstravel.com
So, what are the indicators for identifying mental health issues and depression in an employee? Well, they include failing deadlines, missing meetings, poor concentration, emotional outbursts, restlessness, sleep issues, social withdrawal, excessive alcohol consumption and loss of interest in tasks.
ADDRESSING BURNOUT How are travel managers trying to address the issue of burnout or traveller “friction” and how are they encouraging workers to disconnect? Julia Fidler, global employee experience lead at Microsoft Travel, recommends managers do not ask their employees to go on a conference call straight after a business trip. She also suggests that “bleisure” and “non-work experiences” should be introduced on trips abroad. “We’ve had discussions at Microsoft recently
about a traveller’s itinerary, personalising it and adding things that you might like to see on a business trip,” says Fidler. “For example, going to see a concert while you're in a particular location or going to a museum or an event.” Fidler recommends taking the morning off after a long trip: “That should be encouraged. I wouldn't necessarily say a manager would say that to me, but there's definitely no issue, as far as I’m concerned, doing that at Microsoft and there's a feature to take time in lieu. “I have a young family, so travelling at weekends is very intrusive. I make sure I'll take that time back,” she adds. “As travel managers we have a responsibility to create awareness of
1 in 4
the UK are affected by mental health issues every year
absences occur due to stress- related illnesses
of workplace
49% million
12.5
working days were lost to work-related stress in 2016-17
2018 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 97 adults in
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