Traveling for work isn’t necessarily all it’s cracked out to be. Most people hear the phrase and think of it as a free vacation, but it’s anything than that. While it’s nice to have a few meals out and see different parts of the country, it can be physically and mentally taxing.
Keri Steers, regional facility manager for Dutch Bros knows this feeling all too well. Steers represents all Dutch Bros locations in Utah, Arizona and Las Vegas, often traveling to the stores for regular maintenance needs. Balancing last-minute or even same-day flights, Steer immediately goes to her stores with a clipboard and a calm face, ready to help a team she has often never met problem solve. And then she has to do it all over again in a different city, sometimes a different state the next day.
“As a facilities manager, you’re part fixer, part therapist, part air traffic controller – and all of it travels with you,” Steers wrote in a LinkedIn post that went viral. “there’s pride in that, but there’s also isolation. You’re constantly on, constantly responsible and constantly away from the life you’re building back home.”
Steers reassures that traveling employees will get used to eating alone at restaurants or sterile hotel environments, but it’s the loneliness in travels that can take the longest time adjusting to. This is especially hard for FMs with children who feel a sense of guilt being away from home.
“The silence can almost be deafening because when you’re traveling, work ends for the day,” she says. “You’re not helping to deal with emergencies. It feels like you’re just sitting there sometimes. Mom guilt is a real thing, as much as I would love to say that it’s not. I feel bad for the amount of times I’ve sat on a FaceTime call watching my son’s baseball games, or other events that I didn’t get to attend as a mom because I was out. When I am home, I make up for it.”
When Steers is home she coaches her sons’ little league and wrestling teams and encourages other traveling FMs to find the balance. Being fully present when home helps the family adjust when there is a need to travel.
“The guilt is real, but you just kind of learn to live with it,” Steers says. “You’re okay. I promise it’ll be fine.”
Traveling for work can also raise safety concerns, especially for women on the job. It is suggested to always research your destination, be aware of your surroundings and trust your instincts. However, these standards can change for FMs like Steers when you’re in a new location almost every day while traveling. Part of the safety initiatives Steers has started implementing is calling the store ahead of time and letting them know the approximate date/time she will be there. Not only does this give employees a heads-up, but it also serves as a paper trail in the event something were to happen.
“I’m very cautious when I go out and travel, and I just make sure there’s never a need to have a safety concern,” Steers says. “It’s good to be aware of your surroundings, but it can over stress you out. The odds of someone following you are low.”
Part in ensuring your own safety, though, is having to advocate for yourself. Communicating safety needs is essential when it comes to traveling. Managers need to remember that fair isn’t always equal when it comes to employee safety, and adjustments will need to be made depending on factors such as location, time of day, modes of transportation or even if it’s a male or female FM on the job.
Steers explains that once while she was on the road she had to drive through flooded roads in a vehicle that was ill-equipped to handle that type of weather. Upon returning to her office, she voiced her concerns and they were able to adjust her vehicle rentals for upcoming travel dates.
“I have a very good leader who likes to have the reassurance that we are okay while we are away,” Steers says. “And that’s good when you have a female out there doing the damn thing. She’s doing the plumbing, she’s flying by herself, staying in hotel rooms by herself, and there is that fear and isolation to it and all the other unknown things people are nervous about. Having leadership that cares about you and your wellbeing makes a difference while on the job.”
Even though traveling for work comes with its own set of challenges, Steers is grateful for the opportunity because she gets to make a difference in people’s lives. During her travels she gets to meet dozens of new women and teach them simple maintenance tasks that they can carry with them.
“I love that I get to go into the shops and I get to talk to all these young baristas that are anywhere from 16 to 20 years old,” Steers says. “I get to show them something as simple as how to unclog a drain or how to float a tile, and they’re going to take that into their adult life. That is so rewarding because I know I’m not just changing the work/life aspect to the point they get to work, but I’m changing their entire life.”
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor and the host of the Facilities in Focus podcast.
