Poorly organised work travel is creating avoidable stress for mobile workers and contributing to employee turnover, new research suggests.
According to Roomex’s latest report, Reinventing the Journey: The Voice of the Field Worker, eight in ten mobile workers regularly use personal money or credit cards to cover travel costs, with many waiting extended periods for reimbursement.
The report, based on a survey of over 1,500 mobile workers and travel bookers across sectors such as construction, hospitality, engineering, transport and financial services, paints a picture of growing dissatisfaction. A third of those who pay out of pocket wait more than a week to be reimbursed. Around 8 percent wait over a month. On top of this, workers report spending up to £50 daily on non-reimbursable items such as food and transport to remote locations.
For many, travel is not an occasional obligation but a routine part of the job, often involving short-notice trips and long stays away from home. Workers report fatigue, poor accommodation and disrupted schedules. Almost half (48%) say travel logistics cause significant stress and 44 percent cite poor work-life balance as a result.
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Retention at risk from unmanaged work travel demands
The impact of unmanaged travel extends beyond individual stress. Six in ten mobile workers say travel arrangements have either led them to quit a job or made them consider doing so. This trend is particularly visible in sectors with persistent talent shortages. In construction, 59 percent of workers say travel has pushed them to consider leaving. The numbers are similar in food and drink (55.5%) and financial services (53.5%).
The report notes that mobile workers, often essential to core operations, receive less support than office-based staff. Garry Moroney, CEO of Roomex, said, “Workforce travel sounds glamorous. It often isn’t. Most of the time, it means putting family, health and your personal life on hold for the job. While there’s a small minority who get to enjoy glamorous trips, for many, it is tough and isolating work.”
Moroney added that businesses have made progress improving conditions for office-based staff, but field workers continue to be overlooked. “Mobile workers – those who travel at short notice, work irregular hours and sleep far from home – are rarely given the same consideration as their counterparts in the office. And yet, they are critical to the success of many of our nation’s most important sectors.”
Operational inefficiencies adding pressure to employers
For employers, the current system is also proving inefficient. More than half (58%) of travel bookers surveyed cite last-minute bookings as their top challenge. These late arrangements drive up costs and limit hotel availability, placing further pressure on operational planning.
Over 70 percent of respondents report issues with unapproved expenses and non-compliant bookings. Nearly 30 percent say a lack of visibility over travel spend makes budget management difficult. These inefficiencies often lead to additional administrative work and make it harder for businesses to implement cost controls.
The report recommends simple operational changes to address these issues. These include pre-paying for hotels, setting clear travel policies and using tools that centralise bookings and expense tracking. Such steps could reduce the financial strain on employees and improve visibility for employers. Centralising travel processes would also allow organisations to reduce out-of-pocket costs for workers, ensure more consistent accommodation quality and streamline expense management.
