STEPS TOWARDS DUTY OF CARE

Everyone talks about Duty of Care, but what is it all about?

In short, if an employee travels for business, it is up to the employer to ensure their safety while away on business and to communicate to them what to do in the event of an emergency.

So, what is an emergency? The first things that come to mind are natural disasters and political unrest but it can also be simpler things, like someone losing their passport, missing a flight or leaving their luggage in a taxi.

Below are some pointers that will help in developing a duty of care strategy for your business travellers.

Why is Duty of Care important to business travel?

When it comes to business travel, Duty of Care is important because employees could be exposed to risks that may not apply when they are in their usual place of work. In large businesses, travel risk management is a regular part of their business travel programme, but for smaller companies that don’t have a business travel strategy, the risks associated with business travel can be overlooked.

Risks to business travellers include:

• Visiting and driving in unfamiliar places.
• Standing out from the local population.
• Fatigue and jetlag can impair their judgement.
• Natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes.
• COVID-19 & other infectious outbreaks.
• Sexual predation and hate crimes.
• Terrorist attacks.
• Healthcare availability

Pre-travel checklist for travellers

Regardless of where you are travelling, this advice applies to all destinations.

• Ensure your traveller profile is up to date.
• Make a note of your passport number and take a photocopy with you and store a digital copy securely online.
• Fill in the emergency contact details in your passport. This will help local officials to contact the next of kin if you have an accident.
• If you plan to drive while you’re away, make sure you have your valid driver’s license and insurance with you and check f you need an international driving permit (IDP).
• Make sure your HR colleagues have full details of your itinerary
• Make a note of the nearest South African embassy, high commission, or consulate in case of an emergency
• Familiarise yourself with the local culture and etiquette.
• Ensure you have access to more than one type of payment method, such as credit cards, debit cards and cash.
• Check that your mobile phone can be used abroad to avoid additional charges.
• Check if you need vaccinations or if there is other health advice you should follow when abroad.

Company to-do list

If your company does not have a duty of care strategy, these points will serve as a start.

• Create a travel risk policy.
• Ensure traveller profiles are always up to date.
• Confirm your company travel insurance is adequate for your needs.
• Record all travel itineraries.
• Provide travel and country advice for all trips.
• Create an approval process for high-risk destinations
• Provide travel risk awareness and safety training where required.
• Prepare and maintain an Emergency Plan of Action.

Speak to us. We are here to help.

XL Turners Travel has been taking care of business travellers for over half a century and we have seen it all.

If you have any questions, our travel managers are always available to help with information or assist with developing a Duty of Care strategy.

Peace of mind

When you travel with us, we are available 24/7, and when you call you will be speaking to an XL Turners Travel employee. Not a call centre!

Our XL Go mobile app will keep you in touch with your family, colleagues, and employer. It provides a real-time itinerary with flight and accommodation bookings and gives you valuable information about your destination.