A new survey of global business travellers (including Canada) reveals a significant majority (79%) are engaging in risky behaviours they wouldn’t consider at home – raising concerns about personal safety on work trips and the responsibility of employers to uphold their duty of care.
The data has been released as part of global travel risk management company World Travel Protection annual survey of business traveller sentiment and serves as a reminder to businesses to ensure their employees are making safe choices while travelling for work.
According to the survey, eight in 10 of business travellers say they engage in behaviours on a work trip that they wouldn’t normally, including gambling or using illicit substances, getting into a car with a stranger, and ignoring local safety advice. Only 20% of respondents say they behave in the same way on the road as they would at home.
Younger business travellers, those just entering the workforce or early in their careers, are especially prone to taking chances, often in ways that increase personal risk.
Travellers under 34 are nearly four times more likely than older colleagues (55+) to ignore health advice such as drinking tap water or eating at questionable venues; they are also more likely to ride motorbikes and electric scooters and engage in other risky recreational activities.
In contrast, older business travellers (55+) are far more likely to stick to their usual habits, with four in 10 (42%) stating they don’t behave any differently while travelling, compared to just 15% of those under 34.
Top risky behaviours
The survey captured specific behaviours that illustrate how business travellers act differently when they’re away from home – often in ways that increase personal risk. Notably, employees aged 18-34 were more likely to report taking these chances.
- Getting into a car with a new friend or stranger: Two in 10 (20%) business travellers report doing this, with 22% of those under 34, compared to just 10% of those over 55.
- Venturing out without informing anyone of location and/or plans: Almost two in 10 (18%) of all business travellers report doing this.
- Riding an electric scooter, motorbike, or electric bike: One in seven (16%) of business travellers report doing this, with 21% of respondents under 34 admitting to it, compared to just 7% of those over-55.
- Ignoring health precautions (like drinking tap water or eating at questionable venues/street food vendors): One in seven (15%) business travellers admit to this, with 18% of those under 34 but only 5% of those over 55.
- Engaging in risky recreational activities (e.g., gambling, taking illicit substances): One in seven business travellers (14%) admit to this. Those under 34 are almost twice as likely to say they gamble or take drugs on work trips compared to respondents over 55 (15% vs 8%).
- Ignoring local safety advice or guidelines: One in 10 business travellers (11%) say they do this, dropping to 4% among travellers over 55.
- Changing their behaviours while travelling: Only 15% of under 34s say they don’t do anything differently when travelling for work, compared to 42% of those over 55 – who tend to play it safe.
“While engaging in these kinds of risky behaviours may seem fun at the time, they not only endanger the traveller but also place employers in a challenging position,” said Frank Harrison, Regional Security Director, Americas, World Travel Protection. “This data is a reminder of companies’ legal and moral obligation to ensure the safety of traveling employees, or what we refer to as duty of care. Failing to uphold this obligation can carry serious legal consequences.”
The increasingly volatile travel climate has reinvigorated a discussion among business leaders about how to identify and mitigate the many unique risks associated with work travel. These include risks associated with the journey itself, as well as how employees behave when they reach their destination.
“Before they travel, employers should educate employees on local risks, help them plan ahead, and make sure they’re prepared to make safe decisions while on the road,” added Harrison.
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