As we welcome in a new year, the resolution lists begin. Traditionally in January, we switch our focus to wellbeing, new starts, and fresh routines. But our wellness is something we should be mindful of throughout the year, both in our personal and professional lives.
Wellness travel has been a trend for some time and companies are prioritizing mental and physical health for their mobile teams now more than ever. It’s vital that when they relocate their employees around the world, they ensure employee health and work/life balance.
Five reasons to prioritize wellness in corporate travel:
1. Employee retention - Companies know they need to look after their employees, particularly after the ‘Great Resignation’. Job openings have hit a record high - showing companies if they don’t offer a great work culture they may lose their teams. It’s important to recognise culture extends beyond the office to wherever an employee is representing the business.
This means corporate values should be reflected across the board. So, if you pride yourself on helping employees to balance their workload with their personal commitments - don’t book them a flight on a weekend.
2. Mental health - Being aware of staff mental health is essential to having happy employees. We function best when we have a clear mind to focus on the task at hand - stress can reduce both our wellbeing and productivity.
Sleep is a massive contributor to mental health. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) found that 80% of travelers suffer from sleep issues when away from home. Keep this in mind when booking airlines, looking for those with designed cabin lighting, and rooms that receive ample natural light to regulate circadian rhythms.
Healthy eating and exercise are the first things we neglect when traveling, but they’re also some of the most important habits for our mental health. Support employees by booking accommodation with kitchenette spaces and exercise facilities as standard.
3. Accommodation air quality - This may not be a factor you consider when booking a business trip, but here’s why it should be a priority: air quality can both boost guest satisfaction and productivity.
Commonly people think of outdoors when air quality is mentioned, but there’s growing awareness around the risks of bad indoor air quality - particularly with Covid and airborne viruses being prevalent. Hospitality technology systems that monitor indoor air quality keep your employees safe from viruses, chemicals, and harmful levels of CO2.
As they are likely to spend a large amount of time in their accommodation, it’s important for them to feel safe. Poor air quality can cause headaches, lead to drowsiness or discomfort which all decrease concentration and productivity.
4. Health and safety concerns - Prior to the pandemic, business travelers ranked health and safety at only 5% importance, but this rose drastically to 40% during the pandemic.
It’s a company's legal responsibility to ensure the safety of their employees when they are traveling for business. Employers should be aware of the risks, such as sanitation, accommodation security, female traveler safety, and more. They should have travel policies in place to ensure these risks are assessed. Shockingly, 46% of business travelers work for companies without these in place.
5. Attracting talent - Wellness programs prove employers care and in turn this can boost employee engagement. It’s a tough time for hiring top-tier employees, added benefits such as an appealing business travel package can help you attract new talent to your business.
According to a study, 59% of US job applicants view wellbeing programs as an important decision-making factor.
How to embrace wellness in corporate travel
Flexibility - We all have priorities, this may be family obligations or a pet to get home to. Allowing flexibility for employees where applicable will make their trip more meaningful, as their minds aren’t elsewhere.
Serviced apartments - Often larger than the average hotel room, guests can separate work time from down time. This helps them build a routine which is vital for focus, mental, and physical health.
Preparation - Make traveling as smooth as possible by booking services with good reviews. Be mindful of vacations or when employees have annual leave, as this will put them in an awkward position.
Customer support - Travel is stressful enough, but then there’s the risk of things going wrong. Booking through an all-in-one software platform ensures they have customer support every step of the way, using travel tech for 24-7 guest service communication.
Treats - Travelers who’ve spent hours flying and are majorly jet lagged aren’t going to be productive until they’ve rested. Show your employees you care by booking a quality room or offering paid rest time. Or implement flexible work hours, so they can work when they feel most refreshed.
You’re making an investment when booking corporate travel for your business. Investments need nurturing, incorporating a health-centric approach can benefit your company massively with employee productivity.
It’s clear there are a lot of factors to consider. Luckily, there are platforms designed to help and support companies wanting to make wellness focused corporate travel decisions which are wellness focused. Reside partnered with Delos, a wellness and real estate technology company, to do just that and continues to prioritize the mental and physical wellbeing of corporate travelers. Wherever they are in the world.
3Sixty
3Sixty is a state-of-the-art marketplace that reduces the noise in extended-stay travel. Our HomeMatch™ technology leverages machine learning and human expertise to curate quality, cost effective housing where your employees feel safe, comfortable, and at peace.