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A recent news story whereby a Citibank employee was sacked after expensing his partner’s lunch whilst on a work trip has shed light on an interesting question: Is it ever ok for employees to make work trips into a holiday?
Likely, this worker thought their business trip to Amsterdam would be a great opportunity for their partner to join, so they can spend time in the city in the evenings when he wasn’t working. But it can be difficult for employees to know where the boundaries between work and play are on this type of trip.
Dubbed ‘bleisure trip’, this business turned leisure trip can be a way for employees to get a holiday into their diary without having to fork out on travel. Some staff members might take annual leave on either side of the trip, whilst others will use their time outside of work hours to explore the trip destination.
Who is the bleisure traveller?
Young workers are the most likely to engage in bleisure travel, likely because of their lifestyles, not having to concern themselves with child care necessarily. Research suggests that 48% of ‘bleisure’ travellers – those who make business trips leisurely experiences - are between the ages of 22 and 35. Clearly, Millennials and Gen Z workers want more opportunities to travel and work abroad, with seven out of ten UK workers saying they have plans to work in a different country as a ‘digital nomad’.
In this sense, bleisure opportunities may give employers who don’t have work abroad or work-from-anywhere policies the ability to hold on to talented young staff members who have an urge to work from a different country.
For this generation, bleisure travel offers an opportunity to save on travel costs involved in a trip abroad. Despite having to work whilst in another country, the opportunity to have leisure activities around business means that in many cases, younger workers can experience a foreign destination they might not have otherwise chosen or be able to afford to visit.
These types of travelers tend to make frequent business trips, with 70% of them travelling on behalf their employer at least once every three months. Bleisure travel isn’t specific to only one industry, these employees exist in all sectors, however tech, healthcare, and manufacturing were the industries where this form of business travel was most common.
Whether or not the destination of travel is considered an exciting destination (66%), whether there are additional costs with making the trip longer (59%) and whether the trip is close to the weekend (51%) all play a role in if employees make a regular business trip a bleisure trip.
Bleisure trips can therefore be used as a way to entice and retain younger workers, who are increasingly viewing abroad travel as a necessary part of their employee experience.
Outlining expectations
According to Statista, business travel has grown by 7% each year since 2015. Increasingly, businesses are recognising the importance of sending employees on business trips abroad, whether to a sister-office, for networking, or to enhance business prospects in a foreign landscape.
Especially in the current economic climate, spending a small amount to make more in the long-term and grow your company is considered by most a worthwhile way to spend, even when under external economic pressures. But a level of trust mixed with employees having an understanding of company policies is necessary for effective bleisure trips to work for both themselves and employers.
Outlining what is expected of employees during a business trip is crucial to making sure a trip is worthwhile and doesn’t become outweighed by an employee’s desire to go on holiday. This includes transparency about what is needed to be achieved on a work trip and what the desired benefits of the trip are.
But striking this balance is crucial as UK staff are reporting increased levels of sickness and burnout than ever before, and are clearly in need of a greater level of work-life balance.
Research also shows that bleisure trips can improve employee job satisfaction and retention, whilst this appealing opportunity can be a main aspect of what attracts potential candidates to a company. What’s more, research also indicates that mixing work trips with leisure trips incites more of a desire to be productive in employees.
“Bleisure trips can allow busy workers to relax and unwind after a demanding day of meetings,” says am Sheehan, motoring editor at Cinch.
“Many workers, as part of their business travels, enjoy the chance to sightsee a new area, attend sports or music events or eat out at new restaurants. Leisure time can serve as a handy distraction from everyday work worries while also having a positive impact on your mood, stress, and anxiety levels.
“This, in turn, can get you ready for whatever is in your diary the next morning, as mental well-being makes a difference in employees’ resilience, productivity, and efficiency.”
Bleisure trips have the power to increase productivity, retention, attract candidates, and provides a nuanced approach to solving burnout. Despite this, a level of trust and transparency around employee behaviour and what’s expected from them on a trip is necessary to increase trust and ensure a worthwhile trip - this is particularly important considering bleisure trips have experienced a 500% increase in recent years. Maybe this type of trip isn’t just tempting for workers, but has become a good business decision for employers too.
