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Tuesday’s USA Today ran an article on how fear of flying creates stress for many employees, on two levels: First, they fear the flying, and second, they worry that their fears will cost them their job.

Companies have fired employees who could not fly, says psychologist John Weaver, whose firm, Psychology for Business, consults for Wisconsin companies. Such a scenario may occur, he says, when a small company with an infrequent, fearful flier is bought out by a larger one, and the employee is asked to fly more frequently.

Of 95 companies surveyed this month by the American Management Association, 13% say that fear of flying has affected their business. Some of the companies say it’s been an impediment to developing talent, and some say it’s relegated some employees with solid sales or marketing skills to alternative jobs where they can stay put.

The article emphasizes treatments or seminars that help individuals overcome their fears of flying, but the links are all to programs that cost money.

A free, web-based alternative to consider, if you suffer from fear of flying, is Fear of Flying Help, offered by MD-80 pilot Capt. Stacey Chance. While he’s not a psychologist, he provides a helpful online course to aid in overcoming some of the most common fears.

While I’ve never been afraid of flying myself, and thus can’t speak to the course’s effectiveness from my own experience, I’ve seen Capt. Chance’s course help people close to me, so I can endorse it.

It’s certainly worth checking out as a start.

tags: travel | air travel | business travel | fear of flying