A new report shows young workers – such as Generation Z – are leading the charge for changing where and when they work by combining business trips with leisure, in a move that is described as promoting wellness and increasing employee retention.

Stats from Flight Centre Travel group show ‘bleisure trips’ are becoming more and more popular with over 60% of New Zealand workers surveyed (1,000 people) saying they want to extend work trips for a personal holiday.

The research shows Gen Z at the forefront of this with 74% expressing interested in combining business with leisure – compared to 46% of Baby Boomers.

Work-life balance is more important than ever – with an increased preference by workers on where they can work, said General Manager for New Zealand at Corporate Traveller, Angie Forsyth.

“Whether it's extending a work trip to catch a concert in Sydney, experiencing the Formula 1 in Singapore, watching a show in London's West End, or attending a Lakers match in LA, New Zealanders are finding ways to make the most of their travel experiences,” she said.

In 2024, one-day trips grew at the slowest rate, Forsyth added, while stays of 6-7 days saw a 10-per-cent increase year-on-year.

“This indicates that workers are opting for longer stays, incorporating time for personal activities into their business travels.”

The popularity of bleisure trips is only expected to grow, with forecasts predicting it could make $4.1 billion in the US by 2035.

The new look of flexibility

The change in workplace habits shouldn’t come as a surprise – and should be utilised to get the best out of your workforce, according to Associate Professor in Human Resource Management at the University of Otago, Paula O’Kane.

“It fits under any flexible work policy, similar to working from home or working different hours. It’s a new look on what businesses have been doing for years. From an organisational point of view, you need to make sure people are held accountable for the work they do and working away from the office is no different,” she told HRD.

“As long as workers are hitting their KPIs and work isn’t coming out at a worse quality, this is a perfect way for people to broaden their horizons. This is what people want now.”

Safety with bleisure travel

O’Kane also emphasised the need to make sure employees are safe when conducting bleisure trips, which she told HRD is a “grey area” – as there are a few factors to consider.

“I think this isn’t necessarily considered, especially if you’re working internationally. Mostly, you’re going to fairly safe places but there still has to be considerations around if they can do their job effectively.”

You also need to look at annual leave, O’Kane said, “because you still need time not working. It’s great you’re able to work wherever you want – but if you’re not taking annual leave, can you really switch off?”

It’s important that individualised check-ins are scheduled to ensure employees are happy and engaged as well as to discuss whether a business case can be made for a bleisure trip, she said.

“At the end of the day, you still have to work. If you can still ensure work can get done – and to a good standard – there’s no stopping where or when you work, much like working from home.”

Gen Z pushing for flexibility

Generation Z are making big changes in how they work – with many focusing on social or even environmental factors when deciding a job – and bleisure travel is no different, according to O’Kane.

“The key thing I see is that students and young people want flexibility. They’re not here to work nine to five because they want to work to live, not live to work. It’s a good thing because we can see a lot more equity in the workplace.”

“Flexibility used to hinder careers, especially for women, but now it’s seen as the norm, and it allows you to create quality and equality across the workforce. If the surf’s good on a Friday and you want to finish early, opportunities are available. No wonder young people are at the head of this,” O’Kane noted.

Change in work habits has been enabled not only by technology – but also by school systems that encourage difference, according to O’Kane, so not embracing change would be “mad.”

Offering bleisure travel about good leadership

Changes, in any form, can be taken advantage of, but allowing bleisure travel is another example of how good leadership and people management can be showcased.

O’Kane said that by good objective-setting, management and experience, allowing people to travel whilst working can do them the world of good.

“If you find a company who really values their employee, gives them good opportunities for things like flexibility, it can make a massive difference to things like retention.

“It could just be a mental thing, but by giving people agency to live how they want to live but still get results, you’re enabling them to be the best version of themselves both in and out of work. That can’t be a bad thing, can it?”