In today’s rapidly evolving corporate landscape, the safety and security of employees travelling on business trips have never been more paramount. As we head into 2024, the complexities of domestic travel and international travel are increasingly influenced by factors such as political instability, health risks, and technological advancements. This highlights the importance of comprehensive business travel safety tips and a duty of care approach by organisations.
With the resurgence of business travel after the COVID-19 Pandemic, travel managers and corporate entities must prioritise the safety and well-being of their employees. Whether it’s ensuring the availability of emergency services, staying updated with travel advisories, or managing travel documents efficiently, each aspect plays a vital role in mitigating potential risks.
Moreover, in the context of B2B Travel Management Solutions, staying up to date on the latest developments and incorporating essential business travel safety measures is not just a best practice but a necessity. From preparing for medical emergencies to understanding the nuances of destination countries, this guide offers 24 key tips that are indispensable for anyone involved in organising, managing, or undertaking business travel in 2024.
1. Develop a Comprehensive Travel Policy
A business travel policy is vital for safeguarding employees on their corporate trips. This policy should comprehensively cover medical emergencies, including unexpected medical care and hospitalisation, and provide for contingencies like trip cancellations or interruptions due to unforeseen circumstances. The absence of such insurance can expose the employee and the company to significant financial strains and legal challenges, particularly in foreign countries where medical costs can be steep.
Create your own by downloading our Business Travel Policy Template or our guide on How to Create a Travel Policy.
2. Conduct Thorough Risk Assessments
Assessing potential risks associated with travel destinations is a critical aspect of ensuring employees’ safety. This involves evaluating health risks, political stability, and environmental factors. Regularly updated travel advisories provide essential insights for safe travel planning. Neglecting these risks can jeopardise employee safety and lead to operational disruptions, negatively impacting the company’s reputation and potentially incurring legal liabilities.
If you’re wondering how to implement a duty of care strategy for your business travellers, download our guide on Managing Business Travel Risk and Duty of Care for SMEs.
3. Keep Travel Documents Safe
Keeping essential documents safe and easily accessible is essential for hassle-free international travel. Mismanaging documents can lead to complications during travel such as missed flights and connections.
4. Educate on Local Customs and Potential Risks
Understanding the customs and potential risks of the destination country is crucial. This helps in avoiding cultural misunderstandings and addressing safety concerns specific to the area. Lack of awareness can lead to unintentional offence or risky situations, especially for employees standing out from the local population due to their foreign status.
5. Staying Connected with the Right Tools
Utilising technology, such as Business Travel Management Software and secure internet devices, ensures constant connectivity and access to critical information during the trip. Effective communication tools are key in managing emergencies and staying updated with the latest travel advisories.
Good Travel Management’s comprehensive platform issues real-time security alerts, ensuring business travellers stay ahead of potential risks. The software has a built-in traveller tracking capability, which can be switched on or off, providing added safety through real-time location updates. As a human-led team of travel experts backed by technology, we ensure that all journeys are well-planned, and communications delivered when required.
6. Access to Medical Care
Knowledge about the availability and location of medical care facilities in the destination country is vital, particularly for employees with pre-existing health conditions or those travelling to remote areas. Inadequate medical support can exacerbate health emergencies, leading to severe consequences.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to manage workplace health and safety. This legislation outlines the number of responsibilities employers must protect the health, safety and well-being of their employees. Employers have a legal obligation of care to employees when ensuring all practical steps to reducing the risks with business travelling, whether that be in the UK or overseas, are prepared. Good Travel Management can offer a travel policy assessment that focuses on traveller well-being, duty of care and traveller risk ensuring you as an employer have outlined the high-level safety and security aims for your employees.
7. Adhering to Travel Advisories
Staying informed about the latest travel advisories helps travellers avoid high-risk areas, ensuring their safety and security during international travel. Ignoring advisories can place employees in dangerous situations, such as areas of political unrest or severe weather conditions.
Good Travel Management can significantly contribute to ensuring business travellers adhere to travel advisories through our real-time alerts that provide updates on potential risks and changes in travel conditions, helping employees stay informed. In the case of any unforeseen circumstances or emergencies, we offer 24/7 emergency assistance allowing employees to contact our travel experts for immediate support and guidance.
8. Safety Training for Travellers
Providing employees with safety training, especially for those travelling to high-risk areas, is vital. This training should cover how to respond to various emergencies, enhancing their preparedness. Lack of training can leave employees vulnerable to risks such as theft, assault, or more severe threats like terrorism.
9. Employee Travel Profiles and Itineraries
Maintaining up-to-date employee travel profiles and itineraries is crucial for quick location tracking in case of emergencies. This is vital for effective crisis management and adhering to the duty of care. Failure to accurately track employee locations can delay response times in emergencies, potentially leading to grave consequences.
10. Duty of Care Compliance
Understanding and complying with duty of care obligations is not just a legal requirement but also a moral one. This includes ensuring the health, safety, and security of employees during their business travels. Non-compliance can result in legal repercussions and damage to the company’s reputation.
Duty of Care risks such as visiting unfamiliar locations, natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Beyond the individual employee, these risks can have repercussions on a company’s productivity, financial outcomes and reputation. Proactively addressing and mitigating these risks limits the likelihood of their occurrence.
11. Regular Review of Travel Policies
Routinely updating your corporate travel policy to reflect the latest health and safety regulations, as well as changes in the global travel landscape, is essential for keeping employees safe. Outdated policies may not address current risks, leaving employees inadequately prepared for their travels.
12. Encouraging Responsible Travel Behaviour
Promoting a culture of safety and responsibility among employees while travelling can significantly reduce risks. This includes adherence to company travel policies and local laws. Irresponsible behaviour can lead to legal issues and safety concerns, impacting both the employee and the organisation. Your corporate travel policy can ensure your employees stay responsible when business travelling by implementing well-being topics such as risk assessments, destination guides, travel entitlements and so on.
13. Pre-Travel Health Advisories and Vaccinations
Providing employees with health advisories and necessary vaccinations for specific travel destinations is crucial for preventing medical emergencies. Neglecting this aspect can lead to serious health issues abroad, where medical care might be different from what employees are accustomed to.
14. Crisis Management Plans
Having a crisis management plan in place ensures a coordinated and efficient response during emergencies, safeguarding both the employee and company interests. A lack of such planning can result in chaotic situations, potentially endangering employees’ lives. Your crisis management strategy should pinpoint the plans in place before, during and after a business travel trip. An emergency calls for a decisive response but if you’ve only just reacted when that crisis hits, you’ve started too late. Formulate your crisis plan with your employees at the forefront of your mind. Good Travel Management can share insights into global travel risks further enhancing your crisis planning.
15. Emergency Response Training
Training employees in emergency response, including basic first aid and evacuation procedures, equips them with the skills needed to handle unexpected situations. Inadequate training can leave employees unprepared for emergencies, increasing the risk of harm.
16. Regularly Update Emergency Contacts
Keeping a current list of emergency contacts, including local emergency services, embassies, and corporate contacts, is essential, on both your mobile device and travel documents. This ensures that in any emergency, employees have immediate access to support. Failure to update these contacts can lead to delays in assistance during critical times.
17. Travel Itinerary Management
Detailed travel itineraries should be maintained and accessible both to the traveller and the travel manager. This includes flight details, accommodation information, and meeting schedules. A disorganised itinerary can lead to missed connections and meetings, impacting business objectives.
18. Understanding and Respecting Local Laws
Employees should be briefed on the local laws and customs of their destination countries. This knowledge is crucial to avoid legal issues and to respect cultural differences, especially in countries with vastly different legal systems and cultural norms.
Business Travellers need to be conscientious of local customs before visiting, it is a sign of respect towards those you are meeting with for business. It will help avoid misunderstandings and miscommunications ensuring a more productive, efficient business meeting. For more help on finding local custom laws, GOV.UK provide foreign travel advice for travelling abroad.
19. Implement Functional Cookies for Enhanced Security
In the context of internet use during travel, ensuring that functional cookies are used responsibly can enhance online security and protect sensitive corporate information. Misuse or negligence in this area can lead to data breaches or compromised personal and company information.
20. Prepare for Political Instability
In regions known for political volatility, it’s essential to prepare employees for potential political unrest. This includes understanding evacuation procedures and staying away from areas of conflict. Ignorance in this regard can place employees in dangerous situations, potentially leading to harm or detainment.
21. Training for Health Risks
Employees should be educated about health risks prevalent in their travel destinations. This includes knowledge about local healthcare systems and potential health hazards like food and water safety. Lack of awareness can result in serious health concerns, affecting the employee’s well-being and the success of their business trip.
22. Client Meetings and Professional Conduct
Employees should be briefed on the expectations for professional conduct during client meetings, especially in a foreign cultural context. Missteps in this area can damage professional relationships and the company’s reputation.
23. Safety Precautions for Marginalised Communities
Addressing the unique safety needs of marginalised communities, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals, is a crucial aspect of modern business travel. For 2024, it is vital to acknowledge and proactively manage the distinct challenges these groups may face while travelling for business. Here are some key considerations:
- Employees should be provided with training that highlights cultural norms and legal considerations in different countries, especially where there might be less tolerance or understanding towards marginalised groups. This awareness can help in avoiding potentially unsafe situations.
- Conduct risk assessments that take into account the unique needs of these groups. This includes considering factors like accommodation safety, local attitudes, and the availability of support services.
- Establish a network of support both within and outside the company. This could include access to internal support groups or connections with local organisations that can assist if needed.
- Ensure your emergency response plans include provisions for the specific challenges faced by marginalised communities. This might involve having contacts for organisations that specialise in assisting these groups in times of crisis.
- Encourage open and confidential communication, allowing employees to express any concerns or needs related to their identity and safety while travelling.
- Involve representatives from these communities in the creation and review of travel policies to ensure their perspectives and needs are adequately represented and addressed.
By implementing these precautions, businesses can create a safer and more inclusive travel environment for all employees, acknowledging the diverse needs of their workforce and creating an atmosphere of understanding and respect.
24. The Role of a Business Travel Management Company in Ensuring Safety
In the complex world of corporate travel, partnering with a business travel management company like Good Travel Management can be a game-changer in ensuring the safety and security of employees travelling. Such companies are equipped with expertise and resources to manage various aspects of travel, significantly enhancing safety measures. Here’s how they contribute:
- Expert Risk Assessments – Travel management companies provide thorough risk assessments for destinations, keeping up to date on the latest travel advisories and potential risks. Their expertise helps in identifying specific concerns that might affect your travellers.
- Customised Travel Solutions – Understanding that one size doesn’t fit all, they offer tailored travel solutions that cater to the unique needs of your business and employees, including those from marginalised communities.
- 24/7 Support and Assistance – They offer round-the-clock support, ensuring that travellers have immediate assistance in case of emergencies. This includes access to emergency services and on-ground support in foreign unfamiliar destinations.
- Compliance and Data Protection – Travel management companies help ensure that your organisation’s travel practices comply with international data protection laws. Regular reviews and updates of consent preferences are managed efficiently, safeguarding sensitive employee information.
- Crisis Management and Response – In the event of a crisis, having a dedicated team that can swiftly coordinate response efforts, from evacuations to alternate travel arrangements, is invaluable.
- Training and Resources – They often provide essential training resources and updates to travellers, equipping them with the knowledge needed to stay safe during their trips.
By leveraging the services of a business travel management company like Good Travel Management, businesses can significantly enhance the safety, efficiency, and compliance of their travel programmes, thereby ensuring their employees are well-protected throughout their journeys.
What’s Next?
As we begin the start of 2024, the realm of business travel is undeniably evolving, marked by new challenges and opportunities. For companies and travel managers, the call to action is clear: remain adaptable, continuously evolve policies, and prioritise the safety and well-being of employees in an ever-changing global landscape.
The essence of future-proofing corporate travel lies in fostering a culture that deeply values safety, readiness, and flexibility. As we look ahead, integrating these 24 essential business travel safety tips into your corporate travel strategies and policies is more than just a recommendation – it’s imperative.
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Contact Good Travel Management at sales@good-travel.co.uk.