ST_OCTOBER_18

CASE STUDY: BUSINESS TRAVEL
following: poor self-rated health; clinical symptoms of anxiety,
depression and alcohol dependence; no physical activity or
exercise; smoking; and trouble sleeping. The odds of being
obese were 92% higher for those who travelled 21 or more
nights per month compared to those who travelled only one
to six nights per month, and this ultra-traveling group also
had higher diastolic blood pressure and lower high density
lipoprotein (the good cholesterol).
Although only about 12% of employees in the data we looked
at travelled for business fourteen or more nights per month,
the clustering of all these health conditions among extensive
business travellers is worrying, both for their own health
and the health of the organizations they work for. Physical,
behavioural and mental health issues such as obesity,
hypertension, smoking, depression, anxiety, poor sleep, and
alcohol dependence can create costs for employers through
higher medical claims, reduced employee productivity and
performance, absenteeism, presenteeism, and short-term
disability. The effects of these issues have the potential to
strain or sever relationships with clients and suppliers.
Our results are backed up by several other pieces of
research. A study of health insurance claims among
World Bank staff and consultants found that travellers had
significantly higher claims than their non-traveling peers for
all conditions considered, including chronic diseases such as
asthma and back disorders. The highest increase in health
related claims was for the stress-related disorders. A second
World Bank study found that almost 75% of the staff reported
high or very high stress related to business travel. And an
analyses of health risk appraisal surveys conducted at a large
multinational corporation found that international business
travel was associated with higher alcohol consumption,
lower confidence in keeping up with the pace of work, and
lower perceived flexibility in fulfilling commitments.
So what can companies do to help their employees develop
healthy habits while traveling? We suggest a combination of
employee education and improvements in employer policies
around travel. First, employees simply need to be aware
that business travel can predispose them to making poorer
health decisions. The steak with fries and a late-night cocktail
at the hotel bar might seem easily justifiable as a reward
for acing a long day of client meetings. But research finds
that restaurant food contains more calories per serving, is
higher in total fat and saturated fat per calorie, and contains
less dietary fibre than meals prepared at home. Research
also suggests that the higher calorie content of restaurant
food is compounded by chronic stress, like that caused by
frequent business travel, which is linked to preferences for
even more high calorie foods. Given this, employers should
help employees learn to identify and select the healthiest
options available — and to help them prepare in advance if
they wind up at a hotel like the one I visited, with few good
choices nearby.
It’s often harder to maintain an exercise regimen when you
are on the road, too. Over the long term, many high-calorie
rewards for a job well done can add up to weight gain
and associated cardiovascular disease risks. Supporting
exercise and physical activity among employees can
help prevent weight gain — and the physical activity can
help reduce stress. One fairly simple thing employers
can do is to ensure that their preferred accommodations
have well-equipped gyms. Employers can also use
hotels that provide complementary workout clothes or
in-room exercise equipment such as mats, weights, or
workout videos. In general, hotel gyms can be minimalist
and a bit depressing, but an alliance of sorts between
employers and business hotel chains could work together
to improve the hotel gym experience. If hotel gyms aren’t
an option, employers could also provide employees with
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