How Does Duty of Care Fit Into Your Travel Risk Management Plan?
Both corporate and leisure travel can be unpredictable–inclement weather, canceled flights and hotel reservations, and serious events like terror attacks, natural disasters and civil unrest may all throw a wrench in the most carefully-laid plans. Being unprepared for unexpected events can pose avoidable risks to your employees and your business, and expose your organization to unnecessary scrutiny and liability. These circumstances are just a few of the reasons why it is vital to have an effective travel risk management plan in place.
What is Duty of Care?
Duty of care is a business’ moral and legal responsibility for its employees’ welfare. It is an important aspect to take into consideration when it comes to making policies that affect your employees’ well-being not only when traveling, but when they’re working at the office or at home as well.
Travel Risk Management
With advances in technology and an increasingly mobile workforce, the world of corporate travel is constantly changing. Travel risk management is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to effectively practicing duty of care. Being prepared and having solid policies and procedures in place for mishaps, pitfalls and dangerous situations can help your company avoid serious liability issues and keep employees safe, healthy and happy. Many business travel agencies not only help organizations with travel arrangements, they provide business travel services that include advice and assistance with developing travel risk management plans that address duty of care as well.
Corporate travel agents can also help when there are disruptions in travel plans due to global events or disasters. Knowing that there are dedicated agents available 24/7 can enable your employees stay calm in the face of disaster, and help them adhere to your company’s travel expense policy guidelines more easily, which cuts down on stress and saves your organization money. For example, if flights are delayed due to a terror attack, corporate travel agents will call your business travelers and offer valuable information, reassurance, and assistance that can make travelers feel safe and let them know that your company’s got their back.
Designing Your Corporate Travel Policy
Your organization’s corporate travel policy goes hand-in-hand with how your company practices duty of care. Identifying at-risk areas and ensuring that business travelers are informed about any specific or foreseeable dangers as part of the policy will help to ensure that your organization is practicing effective duty of care, and can lead to increased employee satisfaction and cost savings. Frequently reviewing and updating policies is also vital to keep up with unpredictable events or new threats that pop up and to reassure employees that you are looking out for their best interests.
The elements that go into practicing duty of care can be complex, and developing travel risk management strategies and policies that work takes patience and time. Corporate travel agencies have the global connections, knowledge and technology to help your company effectively identify risks, monitor threats, respond to incidents as they arise, and properly prepare travelers for whatever lies ahead.