Boozing, Promiscuous Business Travelers Put Selves, Employers at Risk

America’s business travelers are too often mixing business with pleasure, exposing themselves and their employers to dangerous scenarios.

According to a national survey by On Call International, a customized travel risk management firm, 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 more than one in 10 (11 percent) of business travelers have “picked up” a stranger at a bar while on work-related travel.

Experts at the New Hampshire-based On Call say this behavior should concern employers, as it puts the personal safety of their employees as well as the reputation of their business at risk.

The survey found that men are the most likely to binge drink while traveling on business, as nearly a third (33 percent) admitted to doing so. Women were not far behind, with nearly a quarter (24 percent) admitting the same.

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 traveling 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 traveled for business.

“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.

Hutton said that 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.”

The on-the-road indiscretions don’t stop with 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.

On Call said its findings are based on a Google Consumer Survey of more than 1,000 business travelers.