Boarding the plane is often the last of many steps in the business traveller’s journey. Before travellers get to this point, ensuring their safety has become a complex process.
Even before COVID-19, Duty of Care was high on the priority list for most businesses. Add to that the challenge of navigating the pandemic’s constantly changing travel restrictions and it is no wonder that Travel Managers are wrestling with how to best keep travellers safe. As businesses resume travel activities, it is important to take all the possible steps to ensure your employees’ health, safety and security when travelling for business.
ASSESS YOUR CURRENT PROGRAM
Your Duty of Care program is fulfilled by actionable strategies within a travel risk management program.
First, build a clear understanding of your travellers’ health vulnerabilities, record COVID vaccination results, locations, and their planned itineraries. Add to this knowledge of what risks they may face during their trip and communicate accurate, up-to-date information regarding health, safety, and security risks.
Then assess potential risk factors. Examine each stage of the traveller journey, including (but not limited to): travel to the airport, air travel, ground transportation, accommodation, food safety, meeting venue, and post-travel issues. Consider and understand the changing measures regarding testing, quarantine, tracking and tracing, and border closures.
DEVELOP NEW GUIDELINES
Detail the Duty of Care controls you need to implement. Recent innovations in Duty of Care have solved some of the challenges of the past. Smart, automated systems and solutions that work seamlessly across the program have replaced manual, one-dimensional processes, and fragmented content sources. Smart technologies include:
- Automated trip authorization
- Traveller tracking and interactive security maps
- Location-based risk notifications
- Native mobile apps with real-time information
- ‘I’m Safe’ mobile check-in capabilities
Traveller’s also carry responsibility and must follow your duty of care policy. When updated, provide essential information to travellers and make sure they know where to find information. Be sure to address commonly asked questions, such as:
- Where to find the latest information for destinations and preferred partner standards/measures
- Guidance on combining business and leisure travel
- Information on likely processes or procedures when traveling and amenities and services available (or not) at the destination
- What to do if ill or failing an entry temperature check or test or need to quarantine
- Best practice for transit (air, rail, car) and hotel check-in/check-out
HOW WE HELP YOU
- Risk management assessment
- Information Hub provides real-time information that travelers need before, during and after their trip.
- Communication of risks to travellers throughout the trip cycle
- Trip authorisation
- Security technology maps traveller movement for fast emergency response
- Data insights to help make informed travel decisions
A robust process to assess risk, calculate risk ratings, and define control measures means you can create comprehensive guidelines and standards that support your travellers in any situation.
