No matter the size or nature of your business, employers must support the health, safety, and security of employees who travel for work. It’s now more vital than ever for businesses to have a comprehensive travel risk management policy in place.
While your business may already have risk-mitigating policies, this process requires assessing the risks of each trip. You also need to plan how your business will assist travelers before, during, and after their travel. This includes staying up to date with destination-specific entry requirements, local healthcare regulations, and insurance obligations, as these can vary significantly from one country to another.
For example, if your employees are traveling to Qatar, this guide provides a useful overview of the available insurance requirements and options: https://telegra.ph/Mandatory-Travel-Health-Insurance-to-Qatar-Everything-You-Should-Know-Before-Your-Next-International-Adventure-03-12.
Read on to learn how to strengthen your travel policy, minimize traveler risk, and support your business’s needs.
Pre-trip assessment
Supporting travelers during a crisis starts long before an event occurs. Travel managers and security teams must proactively assess the risks associated with each business trip. Then, they can establish clear policies and procedures to manage any potential issues.
Here are some steps to take:
1. Conduct a travel risk assessment
Start by assessing the political, security, and health conditions of all business travel destinations. If any routes or locations are high-risk, consider restricting travel to those areas to safeguard employee safety. Your travel management partner can help you conduct this assessment and offer guidance on which destinations may require extra precautions.
2. Educate travelers
Equipping employees with pre-trip briefings and training can help them navigate any issues they may encounter. They should know who to contact in an emergency, how to avoid high-risk situations, and how to access medical care. Your travel policy should clearly outline what employees should do in a crisis and how the organization will support them.
Employees should also be encouraged to book within policy so their itinerary details are captured in the organization’s booking tool. This information is vital when trying to locate travelers during an emergency.
3. Remind travelers to update their contact info
Travelers should have updated contact and emergency information in their profiles so travel and security teams can easily connect with them during a crisis. Keep in mind that some regions regulate how companies collect, store, and use personal data, so be sure your organization adheres to all applicable regulations.
On-trip assistance
Companies have a legal obligation, or duty of care, to protect the safety and well-being of their employees traveling for work. Many organizations fulfill this duty by working with a travel partner that provides risk management software and services, allowing teams to stay on top of developing situations.
Here are examples of the support your travel partner can provide:
1. Travel alerts via an app
Encourage travelers to download your travel management partner’s app to stay informed about updates that could impact their journeys, such as flight cancellations, delays, and gate changes. Travelers can also receive company push notifications about other events affecting their trips, like weather, civil unrest, or destination-specific safety advice.
2. Traveler location and communication tools
In a crisis, companies need to locate their traveling employees quickly. A travel risk management solution with global mapping technology and itinerary data allows managers to pinpoint their travelers’ most recent locations. They can then use multiple channels — including email, chat, and phone — to contact potentially impacted travelers and offer assistance.
3. Proactive disruption management
Has a flight been delayed or canceled? With proactive disruption management, travelers can get the support they need to get back on track. They’ll automatically be notified about any event impacting their travel plans. Travel counselors can then help travelers rebook their entire itinerary, saving them the time and hassle of contacting multiple suppliers.
Post-incident review
After an emergency, it’s essential to evaluate the effectiveness of your risk management plan. Gathering feedback from all involved departments and conducting a post-incident review can help refine procedures and enhance future preparedness.
Seek input from key stakeholders
Analyzing your organization’s response allows stakeholders to identify what went well and what needs improvement. For example, did your HR team find the risk management software helpful? Were some traveler details out of date? Pulling together this feedback helps you identify gaps and improve your processes.
Collect travelers’ feedback
Talk to travelers who were directly affected by a crisis to get their input on your company’s contingency plan. For instance, you could send a survey asking if they received enough information before, during, and after their trip. This will help you better prepare for future incidents.