As global enterprises expand their footprint and smaller businesses go international, the demand for employee business travel is on the rise. With employees heading to various destinations, employers face heightened pressure to proactively assess potential hazards and risks before business trips, bringing the importance of a corporate travel safety guide to the forefront.
While business trips typically proceed smoothly, there’s always a slight possibility of unforeseen challenges. If your employees engage in any form of business travel, the responsibility lies with you to maximize their safety and communicate clear instructions on how to respond in case of an emergency.
Staying up to date with recent developments and incorporating essential business safety measures is also more than a best practice – it’s a necessity. In this article, you’ll learn the duty of care in business travel, travel risk management, and travel safety promise.
CORPORATE TRAVEL SAFETY GUIDE
The duty of care in business travel
The duty of care in business travel refers to a company’s legal and ethical obligation to safeguard its employees during work-related travel. As we move into a Post-Covid-19 era, having a robust duty of care policy is essential, even for smaller businesses.
These policies should cover various scenarios, including political unrest in specific regions. Beyond avoiding problems, a well-crafted duty of care policy enhances employee satisfaction, productivity, and can mitigate legal risks.
Travel managers, admins, and HR teams should prioritize understanding and implementing these policies for improved employee care. Today, many corporate travel companies offer duty of care services as part of their comprehensive solutions.
Travel risk management and duty care – what’s the difference?
When it comes to corporate travel safety, ‘duty of care’ and ‘travel risk management’ are often used interchangeably, creating confusion. However, there’s a clear distinction: duty of care is a company’s moral and legal responsibility to ensure employee safety, while travel risk management is the strategic plan that fulfills that obligation. In essence, duty of care defines what companies must do to guarantee employee safety, while travel risk management outlines how they will achieve it. Understanding this difference is crucial for effective corporate travel safety measures.
Safety risks to consider during work-related travel
If your employees frequently travel globally, here are some potential hazards to keep in mind:
1.Political instability
Political instability poses a potential threat to travel plans and the safety of travelers. In 2019, widespread protests occurred in various countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Business travel to politically unstable regions requires meticulous planning based on current advice and information. Utilize resources like the UK government website, which provides travel advice, including safety and security information and the terrorism threat level. This is a valuable tool for both employers and employees conducting pre-work trip research.
2. Health and sanitisation
Prioritizing health and sanitation is crucial, especially as 71% of senior executive travelers have faced medical concerns abroad. While predicting health issues is challenging, proactive management is possible. Consider the following health-related aspects during travel:
- Healthcare availability: Inform travelers about accessible medical support before the need arises.
- Food and water safety: Encourage safe eating and drinking habits to reduce the risk of stomach upsets. Take caution when it comes to street food and promote the consumption of bottled water over tap water.
- Health threats and diseases: Ensure travelers complete necessary vaccination courses before visiting a country.
Additionally, duty of care extends beyond life-threatening situations. Employers should also focus on travelers’ overall health and wellness. The toll of frequent flying on mental and physical well-being can be significant. Therefore, duty-of-care obligations should encompass well-being practices, such as choosing hotels with fitness facilities or healthy menus.
3. Security in accommodation
Security in accommodation is paramount, especially after a tiring day of travel. While seeking rest at your hotel or Airbnb, it’s crucial not to let your guard down. Hotels, in particular, can attract thieves. Here are key safety tips to ensure your well-being:
- Research your stay: Know the security measures in place, including 24/7 front desk staffing. Utilize Google Street View to survey the surrounding area.
- Room selection: Avoid booking a ground-floor room, as these are more vulnerable to break-ins.
- “Do not disturb” sign: When you’re out, use the ‘do not disturb’ sign to create the illusion that you’re in the room, reducing the chance of opportunistic theft.
- Emergency exit plan: Familiarize yourself with the emergency exit map upon arrival. Identify exit locations for a quick response in case of an emergency.
4. Third-party contractors
As part of your duty-of-care obligations, it’s essential to consider not only your employees but also third-party contractors and other individuals for whom your organization has responsibilities. Engaging with third-party contractors introduces new risk elements that could impact the security of your traveling staff.
To address this, it’s prudent to work exclusively with trusted parties from an approved list or conduct thorough audits of third-party entities, particularly when operating in international settings.
5. Female traveler safety
Ensuring the safety of all travelers is crucial, but female business travelers often face specific risks compared to their male counterparts. A 2018 report by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and AIG found that 83% of women had safety concerns during business trips in the previous year. Surprisingly, only 18% of travel policies specifically address female safety.
While addressing this matter can be sensitive for businesses, fulfilling duty-of-care requirements requires ensuring that female employees are aware of the unique challenges they might encounter while traveling for work.
Travel safety promise at Holiday Tours
In the post-pandemic landscape, our approach to ensuring the safety of business travelers has undergone a comprehensive reassessment. Beyond addressing health and hygiene concerns, we now take into account potential risks such as natural disasters, crime, social unrest, and business disruptions. Here’s what our travel promise entails:
1. Safety assurance
Medical and security risk prevention and management – including travel preparation, proactive monitoring, health screening, reporting, assistance & evacuation, medical outsourcing and medical & security alerts.
2. Travel alert
We collaborate with International SOS, the global leader in health and security risk services, to deliver comprehensive and tailored preventive programs. Our focus is on safeguarding the health, safety, security, and well-being of all travelers.
3. Travel restrictions guide
Up-to-the-minute details on travel restrictions, Covid-19 testing processes, and quarantine protocols to keep you well-informed about the latest travel prerequisites, documentation, and operational risk management.
4. Business continuity plan
Assistance in developing a pre-established and thoroughly documented business continuity strategy to enhance your company’s readiness in the event of travel disruptions or unforeseen emergencies.
5. Convenient travel arrangement
We stay updated on evolving travel regulations to recommend well-informed and timely travel itineraries, tailored to your trip’s origin, destination, travel dates, traveler nationality, and current restrictions.
6. Risk management
Proactively provide information on potential risks, including disease outbreaks, natural disasters, conflict, crime, terrorism, and political and social instability, ensuring awareness and preparedness for your trip.
7. Compliance and duty of care
Utilizing precise location and itinerary tracking, we swiftly confirm your safe arrival, monitor your movements, and securely reach and alert you in case of emergencies.
8. Travel insurance
Partnering with AIG Insurance, we ensure your comprehensive protection, covering Covid-19, 24/7 global travel assistance, trip cancellations, baggage delays, medical expenses, evacuations, natural disasters, and beyond.
YOUR SOLUTION TO STRESS-FREE BUSINESS TRAVEL
REACH OUT TO US AT + 603 2303 9100 (PRESS 3) OR [email protected]
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