Risks are out there so it pays to know where your travelers are
By Travel Buyer Think Tank
It’s a sign of the times that duty of care for traveling employees has risen to the top of many corporate priority lists. As a consequence, the travel manager’s scope of responsibilities has widened to include such matters as risk planning, emergency response and traveler tracking.
The issues of who should keep tabs on travelers and how it should be done are questions many travel manager are grappling with. BTE Think Tank members Chris Brockman, Manager – Travel, Events and Marketing, TriNet, and Cheryl Benjamin, Travel Services Manager, Dart Container Corporation, share their outlook.
Point Chris: In today’s volatile world, duty of care is an essential part of travel management. Whether corporate travelers are flying across the globe or simply driving a couple of hours from their office, corporations have an obligation to ensure their employees are safe.
In recent years, technology has evolved to better track travelers in case of emergency through companies such as International SOS, WorldAware (formerly iJet) or through the corporation’s travel management company. However, who should actually take on the day-to-day responsibilities?
Many larger global companies do utilize ISOS or WorldAware as these providers have the ability to send detailed pre-travel information to the travelers as well as field emergency rescue services when needed. But these services are costly, so companies may opt to use their TMCs proactively to track and report traveler information when an emergency arises.
Many TMCs provide duty of care reporting as a core offering and often have details of travel emergencies before the client is aware of the situation especially in a 24/7 environment. Companies should have conversations with their TMC to outline procedures in case of emergency and take advantage of this offering.
Counterpoint Cheryl: The travel environment has changed significantly over the past 17 years, bringing duty of care into the daily responsibility of every business travel professional. Not only do we think about it, but so do our travelers. They want to know how the company ensures their safety when they’re on the road, regardless of the destination. To me, this speaks volumes about the importance placed on traveler safety.
Traveler tracking technology has made the day-to-day management of duty of care easier and has allowed corporations to include more than just the travel department in managing the program. Whether your company utilizes a TMC to track travelers, or you have a direct contract with one of the many providers available, the responsibility of managing the information shouldn’t lie with one person or department.
Regardless of where and how you get your data, all interested parties should know what protocols your organization have in place to manage everything from more limited issues (such as a severe weather event) to large or critical incidents (such as a natural disaster or terrorism incident). Depending on how your company is structured, your executives, HR, Risk and Communications teams should each have a role in your plan.
Your TMC can be a partner in the plan, but they should not be responsible for managing the complete program. Ultimately, your company is responsible for the well-being of your employees, conducting wellness checks, determining needs and implementing plans. It’s a big undertaking and how it is handled will be talked about – by travelers, their families and by fellow employees.
Be sure to take the time to develop a plan, determine the roles and departments involved, and then communicate your offerings to the travelers – taking care to ensure they have the appropriate contact information should they need emergency assistance.