New research reveals that over half (53 percent) of office workers in the US, who have experienced an increase in in-person meetings, are struggling to cope with the increased demand, as business travel and face-to-face time is on the rise.
For many, this has resulted in an increase in business travel, with 41 percent admitting the frequency of work-related travel has increased over the last two years – in fact, 73 percent of office workers have traveled up to 50 times for business in the last 12 months.
The research confirms and even exceeds the results of a separate report** which shows business travel is booming, predicting that it will reach its pre-pandemic total of $1.4 trillion in 2024 and grow to nearly $1.8 trillion by 2027, as many companies resume business operations.
Dr. Jens Wohltorf, CEO and Founder at Blacklane, said: “Across the board, we’re seeing a huge increase in the demand for business travel as we experienced a growth rate of 50 percent in the past year and our revenue quadrupled in 2022 compared to the previous year. People spend more time out and about meeting clients, colleagues, associates, and so on, and in turn, this means more time spent away from the desk, impacting efficiency and ultimately meaning more work is trying to be squeezed into the same day.”
Whilst in-person meetings and business travel are on the rise, virtual meetings persist with 49 percent saying there’s also an increase in remote meetings – adding to the difficult balance between the virtual and face-to-face world.
For 53 percent of office workers, this change is accompanied by a feeling of increased pressure to be constantly available, especially on the way to work and during business trips. This perception is significantly more pronounced among younger generations such as Generation Z (52 percent) than among baby boomers (41 percent).
When it comes to productivity on the go, 92 percent of US office-based professionals send emails outside of work, often when…
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