GEN ZERS ARE GETTING TO TRAVEL FOR WORK—BUT THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE STRESS

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Gen Z loves work trips—but a new study shows they're the most stressed and disrupted when traveling for business.

While Gen Z workers may be the most enthusiastic about business travel and documenting their trips online, they are also the least equipped to handle the stress and disruptions that come with it, according to new research.

A new survey conducted by Ipsos U.K. and commissioned by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) found that while 70 percent of Gen Z employees aged 18 to 28 look forward to traveling for work, more than half called the experience stressful.

The survey captured the responses of 1,817 business travelers in September 2024 across the United States and the United Kingdom.

The study defined a business traveler as someone who has taken a flight for business purposes "at least once in the past two years," or expects to take at least one flight for business purposes in the coming twelve months.​

The findings suggest that younger employees are eager but unprepared to manage the hustle and bustle of a corporate trip, and could signal the need for companies to update how they support the next generation of business travelers.

"Business travel is demanding simply by the fact that it is a change from the usual," Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier, a psychologist, executive coach and author of The Resilience Plan, told Newsweek. "Whether we love it or not, it still represents a demand."

"For someone who is early career, there has likely been less exposure to business travel than for someone who is a bit later in their career, and just like for any demand, exposure decreases anxiety," Pelletier said.

Despite their enthusiasm, Gen Z respondents were far more likely than their older colleagues to report high levels of travel-related stress.

According to the study, 52 percent of Gen Z business travelers found work trips either "fairly" or "very" stressful. In comparison, only 38 percent of millennials aged 29 to 44 and 34 percent of Gen X respondents aged 45 to 58 said the same.

Millennials were the most optimistic about business travel overall, describing it as valuable for career development, motivation and team collaboration.

The report also revealed that younger workers face more frequent disruptions while traveling for business. Forty-five percent of Gen Z respondents said they encountered disruptions during business travel over the past year, compared to only 36 percent of millennials and 32 percent of Gen X travelers.

This increased rate of disruption has raised concerns about younger workers' readiness for business travel and whether employers are doing enough to support them. While 68 percent of all business travelers surveyed said they understood their employer had a duty of care to support them during travel, only 63 percent of Gen Z respondents were aware of this.

The survey also explored how workers engage with new technologies and the growing trend of "bleisure" travel—mixing business with leisure. Though Gen Z is considered a group of digital natives, it was millennials who expressed "greater comfort" using generative AI tools to book flights, manage expenses and arrange accommodations.

"Digital natives may, in fact, have a preference for remote," Pelletier said. "The trend is not just towards a more flexible travel policy; it is towards 'Work From Anywhere.'"

"So travel policy, if updated, should be looked at internally in the context of the overall people, talent or experience strategy. It needs to be integrated and involve some flexibility and room for individualization where possible," she said.

More than half of all business travelers surveyed said they were open to using AI for trip planning, but when faced with disruptions, 70 percent still preferred human assistance over technology.

Meanwhile, the rise of "bleisure" travel appears to be reshaping expectations. The study found that 62 percent of respondents had extended work travel for personal reasons, while 52 percent said they had incorporated work tasks into leisure travel.

These shifts could prompt organizations to revisit their travel policies, particularly around work-life balance. They could also have stemmed from an increase in remote and flexible working, which can blur the lines between work and play.

Even with the stress and logistic hurdles, the overall outlook for business travel remains positive. Fifty-five percent of respondents expect to travel more in the next five years, and two-thirds believe that improvements in technology and policy will make business travel easier over time.

Still, the research suggests that without targeted support and better communication, younger employees may struggle to navigate a business travel landscape that is becoming both more demanding and more flexible.

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