Productivity

Stress on the road

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Business travel doesn’t have to be a burden – if you know how

 

Business travel can be stressful at the best of times. Remembering all the relevant documents – from passports to visas, plus letters of introduction and reservation confirmations (not to mention foreign currency) – and getting your head around jet lag, language barriers and time zones can all make for a multisensory experience that at times feels overwhelming. Now imagine organising that selfsame trip for a senior colleague while you stay back at base – with the knowledge that if any of that meticulous planning goes wrong, the blame lies squarely on your shoulders. The thought is enough to book a foreign trip yourself, in the form of a holiday, when it’s all over.

Whether your relationship with that senior colleague is a close one or not, it stands to reason that there will be a certain amount of employee stress either way. You’ll want to do your best, of course, but when you’re managing the process at arm’s length it can lead to feelings of powerlessness – for both of you. A patchy internet connection, no mobile reception and flat batteries do not make for a calm day at work, at home or away, and that feeling of being adrift abroad is one that no one wants to experience on company time.

Even when the trip is complete, business travel creates an entirely new workstream. There are leads to follow up and emails to be sent, and all that’s before the dreaded admin has been tackled. According to one survey, “One in five employees said they’d rather have a cavity filled at the dentist than complete an expense report” – and it’s not hard to see why. Spending hours tracking down, wading through and painstakingly recording a jumble of crumpled receipts is no one’s idea of fun, especially when there’s an accounts department breathing down your neck for that signed-off travel-expense report.

There are ways to make business travel easier. As the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace, Regus has a fast-growing network of locations around the globe. From meeting rooms to video-conferencing facilities – or a quiet corner to plug in devices and jump online – the coworking company can act as a one-stop shop. And because membership grants access to every single Regus destination available, it’s like being given the keys to 3,500 offices (and growing).

Another factor worth considering is location. Regus properties are by their nature found in those places where people need and want to do business. So whether it’s a city centre, an airport or any other major transport hub you care to mention, you’re more than likely to find a well-equipped office ready and waiting. Being part of the neighbourhood helps too: friendly support staff are on hand to iron out any local idiosyncrasies, and because they speak the language they can also act as helpful go-betweens when it comes to making onward travel arrangements – or even restaurant reservations.   

Employee stress is real enough, so it makes sense to seek ways to minimise it and concentrate on what matters instead. Business travel doesn’t need to be an ordeal and, with Regus, it doesn’t have to be. When the practical stuff can be taken care of so seamlessly, a work trip can be reframed so that it’s approached in a more constructive, positive fashion. And that’s as a way of strengthening relationships, expanding horizons and discovering new ideas – and maybe even doing a bit of sightseeing on the side. Just don’t forget that expenses form.

 

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