America’s business travelers are mixing business with pleasure more often than you might think, leading to potentially dangerous scenarios that should be keeping employers up at night. According to a national survey by On Call International (www.oncallinternational.com), a provider of customized travel risk management services located in Salem, more than a quarter (27 percent) of business travelers admit to binge drinking while on business trips. The risky employee behavior doesn’t end there, as 11 percent of business travelers have “picked up” a stranger at a bar while on work-related travel.
This type of behavior is cause for concern for employers, as it poses a substantial risk to the personal safety of their employees as well as the reputation of their business. Legal risks are also a reality since corporate Duty of Care laws have become tighter than ever – making the need for proactive employee education vital for all organizations with traveling staff. The survey found that men are the most likely to binge drink while travelling on business, as 33 percent admitted to doing so. Women were not far behind, with 24 percent admitting the same. According to the CDC (www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm), the list of safety and health problems associated with binge drinking includes unintentional injuries (car accidents, falls, burns and drowning), intentional injuries (firearm wounds and sexual assault), alcohol poisoning, sexually transmitted disease and unintended pregnancy. There are also work-related repercussions for binge drinking on business, including a major loss in productivity and potential lawsuits that threaten the company’s bottom line.
Men were also the most likely to partake in promiscuous behavior, as 14 percent of male respondents claim they’ve picked up a stranger while travelling on business. However, eight percent of women admitted they have done the same. Two percent of males claim they’ve picked up a stranger in a bar every time they’ve travelled for business – heightening their risk substantially.
“While it certainly appears that the allure of a one night stand without the constraints of being close to home is tempting to many business travelers, letting one’s guard down in an unfamiliar setting can easily lead to dangerous situations for an individual. This includes assault, robbery and otherwise avoidable accidents leading to serious bodily injury – not to mention reputational damage for the employer,” said Jim Hutton, Chief Security Officer, On Call International. “While responsibility ultimately falls on the business traveler to act in a responsible and safe manner, employers need to be proactive by setting appropriate parameters and being clear about the expectations it has of its employees while they are out representing the organization.”
Unfortunately, the on-the-road indiscretions don’t stop with overindulgences in sex and alcohol. According to the survey, eight percent of business travelers have lied to their employer about their activities while on a work-related trip and four percent have been detained by law enforcement. Given these findings, it’s vital for organizations to have a comprehensive travel risk management program and crisis management plan in place in order to mitigate legal, financial and reputational risks in the event that an employee encounter a related emergency.
Survey Methodology
The findings are based on a Google Consumer Survey of more than 1,000 business travelers. Google Consumer Surveys automatically field a validated, representative sample of respondents and allocate users according to the demographic spread of U.S. Census data of Internet users.
Current Issue - May 2024