Mum, where's dad? Australia men missing family time due to business travel
SYDNEY, 29 August 2005 - Four out of five Australian men feel that business meetings create additional pressures on their personal life by reducing time with family and friends, according to a new study launched today.
The study also shows that the average Australian business traveller spends half their year in meetings and another quarter travelling to them.
The 38-page report, The Tyranny of Distance: a study of the impact of business meetings on work and personal lives, was commissioned by Microsoft Australia and conducted by independent research firm The Leading Edge. The 300 Australian employees and managers surveyed spend up to 30 per cent of the working year away from home for business meetings.
The findings show that Australian business travellers could salvage up to 13 days a year by avoiding travel to ?unnecessary' business meetings - time that could be spent at home, with friends or simply getting out of the office on time.
Men are feeling the impact that business travel and extra time at work in meetings is having on their home lives more than women. The study also found that the number of women travelling for work is fast approaching that of men, and that women are more likely than men to tack on some extra ?leisure days' to business travel.
The study found that the average business traveller:
- Has an average of 12 meetings a week, with four of these out of the office
- Considers 19 per cent, or about one in five, of meetings to be 'avoidable'
- Can spend up to twice as much time travelling to meetings than in actual meetings
- Says the main disadvantage of meetings is time out of the office and lost efficiency
Dr Don Edgar, Australian social commentator and author on work and family issues, said that many Australians who extend their working hours to accommodate meetings are losing out on personal time.
"Unsustainable working hours create a new wave of societal and personal pressures," said Dr Edgar. "Finding a solution for the tyranny of distance is important for both individuals and businesses. It could reduce workplace stress, improve the quality of personal and family life, improve parenting and potentially reduce marital breakdown and improve community life.
"New forms of communicating and conducting meetings may be the key for people who want more control over their working hours and more time with their friends and families."
Mr Oscar Trimboli, Microsoft Australia's Real Time Collaboration business manager, said it was time for Australians to claw back their personal time.
"The Tyranny of Distance is a harsh but unnecessary reality for many business travellers. Just ask yourself - what could you do with an additional 13 days per year?" said Mr Trimboli.
The study shows that 90 per cent of respondents say face-to-face meetings and related business travel adds to their overall working hours, with 75 per cent saying it reduces the time they spend with family and friends.
"It's really frustrating for people who miss out on their child's first steps, a school concert, a friend's birthday or fitness activities because they are travelling to and from meetings," Mr Trimboli said.
"Our research also suggests that the old stereotype of men enjoying the business travel junket just doesn't hold true," said Mr Trimboli.
Face-to-face meetings are becoming more frequent, with respondents attending 32 per cent more meetings in their office, 23 per cent more meetings elsewhere in the city or town and interstate meetings are up by 28 per cent over the past year.
"The face-to-face meeting has many advantages in relationship building and decision making. The real question to ask is whether or not the face-to-face meeting is necessary, or whether the same results can be achieved via phone or web conferencing. This will help Australian business travellers salvage their personal lives," said Mr Trimboli.
One-in-five respondents said their companies are looking at alternative technologies to reduce the need to travel. While 82 per cent have tried teleconferencing, only a quarter have tried web conferencing.
The report is available to download from
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