Employers Increasingly Recognize Importance of Duty of Care

The experts at ViewFrom36k define Duty of Care and its implications for the business traveler

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Nov 13, 2018, 12:09 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, airline crashes. The news is filled with reminders of the unexpected events that can impact business travelers. Even more common mishaps, like bad weather, travel delays and cancellations, and rental car collisions, can result in serious challenges and create an urgent need to locate travelers and provide support.

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That's why, increasingly, travel managers are embracing Duty of Care solutions – the moral and legal responsibility to keep employees safe when on the road for business. "4 Things You Should be Doing to Keep Your Travelers Safe," which appears on ViewFrom36k, looks at the implications of Duty of Care and how to protect business travelers.

Assisting Travelers is Priority #1

Duty of Care strategies should answer business travelers' most pressing question in the event of an emergency: 'Who can I call for help?'

In a 2017 study by the GBTA Foundation, the research and education arm of the Global Business Travel Association, about three in 10 travel managers surveyed said they didn't know how long it would take to locate employees caught in a crisis, while 50 percent said they could do it in two hours or less. Meanwhile, another GBTA survey showed 54 percent of employees on international business trips have no contact number to use in case of an emergency.

"It's critical that travelers get global 24/7 assistance when they need it," says Gabe Rizzi, president of Travel Leaders Corporate, a division of Travel Leaders Group, the organization behind ViewFrom36k. "Whether it's a last-minute change to an itinerary, a medical emergency or a lost passport, business travelers should always know who to call." Rizzi adds that companies should offer travel services and related technology that provides help such as threat monitoring, emergency medical transportation, on-the-road travel re-booking, and up-to-the-minute reporting on employees' whereabouts to travel managers.

According to the GBTA survey, 65 percent of organizations employ the services of third-party safety and security companies to help their business travelers. Among them, four out of five travel managers said they can track travelers anywhere and at any time.

A Good Travel Policy is Good Protection

Rizzi also advises companies to explore the connection between a good travel policy and traveler safety. "Start by evaluating how and where your employees travel. Do they travel at home or abroad? Are they going to high-risk areas?" says Rizzi.

Then, he advises, companies should put in place policies that suit the needs of their travelers, while also factoring in risk management. For example, companies should consider their policy on executives traveling together on the same plane.

Reducing Risk is Good Prevention

ViewFrom36k also discusses how to mitigate risk and empower employees with pre-travel training. This includes providing travelers with destination briefs, educating them about safe travel practices, making sure they know how to access and use the 24/7 assistance technology provided to them, and keeping them updated with the latest information about security and health risks.

Read more advice on how to keep business travelers safe with Duty of Care practices on ViewFrom36k.

Travel Leaders Corporate is a wholly-owned division of Travel Leaders Group, specializing in business travel fulfillment, strategic meetings management and data analytics.

For more information or to take advantage of Travel Leaders Corporate's personalized service and cutting-edge corporate business travel solutions that provide a complete travel enrichment experience, email [email protected] or call 877-404-4173.

About ViewFrom36k

ViewFrom36k is a thought-leading digital content hub that gives a comprehensive big-picture view of business travel, along with the solutions needed to lower costs, increase traveler satisfaction and drive revenue growth.

About Travel Leaders Group

Travel Leaders Group (www.TravelLeadersGroup.com) is transforming travel with a commitment to our vacation and business travel clients through our progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. Having already assisted millions of travelers, Travel Leaders Group manages leisure, business and franchise travel operations under a variety of diversified divisions and brands. With over 7,000 agency locations, Travel Leaders Group ranks as one of the industry's largest travel agency companies. Travelers also have access to The Travel Collection by Travel Leaders Group, a portfolio of select travel offers including discounts on international and domestic flights, value-added benefits at lodging establishments, shipboard credits on cruises and savings on escorted and vacation packages. Membership to The Travel Collection is offered at no additional cost to U.S. American Express Gold Card, Business Gold Rewards Card, Platinum Card® and Business Platinum Card® Members. For more information visit www.TheTravelCollection.com.