As global travel regains momentum, safety isn’t just a priority—it’s the foundation of every business trip. Today’s travelers, often referred to as Generation C, approach post-pandemic travel with caution, expecting real-time updates, personalized reassurance, and proactive measures at every turn.
For travel managers, this shift calls for more than just policy updates—it requires a complete overhaul of duty of care plans to rebuild trust and address lingering uncertainties. These plans must anticipate potential risks, from health emergencies to logistical disruptions, ensuring employees feel supported and secure throughout their journeys.
Picture this: an employee faces a health crisis overseas, flights are suddenly canceled, and local resources are stretched thin. A robust travel duty of care plan doesn’t just mitigate chaos; it ensures swift responses, clear communication, and peace of mind. In today’s unpredictable travel landscape, proactive preparation is the difference between a stressful ordeal and a safe, confident return to business travel.
What is Duty of Care in Travel?
An organization’s travel duty of care is to safeguard its employees from potential risks or harm, particularly during business travel. This responsibility extends beyond just meeting legal requirements; it reflects a commitment to employee well-being and safety, both physical and mental.
In practice, travel duty of care involves assessing potential risks, such as health issues, political instability, natural disasters, or security threats, and preparing strategies to address them. This includes providing employees with up-to-date travel information, ensuring compliance with health and safety protocols, offering access to emergency support (like medical assistance or evacuation), and maintaining open lines of communication.
A well-executed travel management duty of care plan ensures that employees feel supported and secure, enabling them to focus on their work without undue stress. For companies, it also minimizes risks, enhances employee trust, and protects the organization from liability while maintaining business continuity in unpredictable circumstances.
How To Ensure Duty of Care For Employees?
Ensuring travel management duty of care for employees before, during, and after a business trip involves thorough planning, communication, and follow-up. Here’s how to address each phase:
Before the Trip:
- Risk Assessment: Evaluate potential risks associated with the destination, including health, safety, political, or environmental concerns.
- Pre-Trip Training: Provide travelers with information on safety protocols, cultural considerations, emergency contacts, and company policies.
- Travel Insurance: Ensure comprehensive travel insurance covers medical emergencies, cancellations, and other contingencies.
- Emergency Planning: For travel duty of care, share emergency response plans and provide access to 24/7 support services for issues like evacuation or medical assistance.
- Real-Time Alerts: Register employees for travel alerts and updates for their destinations.
- Verify Documentation: Ensure all necessary documents (visas, passports, vaccination records) are in place.
During the Trip:
- Regular Check-Ins: Maintain regular communication through scheduled check-ins or mobile apps.
- Real-Time Monitoring: For travel duty of care, use technology to track employee locations for immediate response during emergencies.
- 24/7 Support: Offer around-the-clock access to assistance for medical, security, or logistical challenges.
- Local Resources: Provide contact details for local embassies, medical facilities, and law enforcement.
- Compliance with Safety Protocols: Ensure travelers adhere to health, safety, and corporate policies, such as avoiding high-risk areas.
After the Trip:
- Debriefing Sessions: Conduct follow-ups to discuss the trip, address any issues faced, and gather feedback for future improvements.
- Health Monitoring: Check on employees’ health, especially if they travel to regions with health risks or high stress levels.
- Incident Reporting: Document any incidents that occurred during the trip to improve duty-of-care measures.
- Reintegration Support: Provide resources for employees dealing with post-travel fatigue, jet lag, or stress.
By addressing each stage comprehensively, companies can protect their employees, foster trust, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to their well-being.
How itilite can Help
Many companies are already taking their duty of care quite seriously. For others, it’s high time to make sure they’ve got this covered. To quickly adapt to these new norms and get going, it’s best to have a corporate travel management and expense solution like itilite in place. At itilite, we can help you create a robust duty of care plan and automatically implement it. To understand more about how we can help, get in touch today.
