Being prepared for any eventuality overseas is essential to all businesses with international operations.
Whether your employees are permanently located overseas, or on a short-term basis, global operational resilience is vital. This is maintained by protecting your employees from the potential risks they may encounter.
To maintain your Duty of Care to your people, you need to ensure their safety, security and health – this builds their trust and maintains business continuity in times of an incident or crisis.
What is a Global Assistance Provider and what does it do?
To enhance your Duty of Care, a Global Assistance Provider delivers a comprehensive programme providing your organisation with 24/7 medical, security and travel assistance services.
This is vital if you run an international business because it is likely you have employees working overseas in multiple locations. Each of these locations carry an element of medical and security risk, some higher than others.
As an international business, there should be a robust Travel Risk Management infrastructure in place. This should be implemented and managed in-house, partnering with a Global Assistance Provider that provides a global reach.
Managing your Travel Risk Management policies in-house can be an immense strain on your organisation’s resources. Hence, a Global Assistance Provider is your aid strengthening your resilience.
A Global Assistance Provider is an extension to your business. So, they should align with your travel risk management requirements and your business goals. The right Global Assistance Provider will support your Travel Risk Managers in the following areas:
- Alignment of travel risk management with ISO 31030 standard
- Procurement of a dedicated Travel Management Company
- Recommend an appropriate Insurance policy (that also covers evacuation and repatriation services)
- Alignment between insurers of policies and services
- A tracking and travel monitoring system that warns employees on localised vulnerabilities
- 24/7 emergency assistance, with access to operational, medical, security specialists
- Policy writing and implementation
- Digital solutions to risk management, like real-time location services via an Assistance App
- Training
- Pre-travel risk assessments
- Immigration requirements
- Health, safety, and security considerations
A Global Assistance Provider, like International SOS, is an expert in providing support, advice, preparedness, and training to organisations to enhance and maintain their travel risk management policies.
How Global Assistance Providers have changed
The Global Assistance industry must be agile in adapting to emerging world events. This was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic with an increased focus on business continuity preparedness.
As the world grappled with crisis after crisis, Global Assistance Providers must be agile in adapting by finding effective solutions to navigate through the crisis, manage the risks and deliver emergency support where needed.
The pandemic necessitated this need for greater agility. It drove a change in assistance delivery.
One way that International SOS have adapted is by acclimatising our employee assistance programmes. We now ensure Duty of Care obligations are met among all staff - not just those travelling.
Benefits of partnering with a Global Assistance Provider
Like any service your business seeks to procure, it is important to consider the benefits of a Global Assistance Provider:
- Provides peace-of-mind to businesses and global workforces
- Access to a global network of health, safety, security, and logistics experts
- Eliminates the ‘heavy lifting’ involved in facilitating and implementing in-house travel risk management policies
- Supports your people’s mental health and wellbeing when they are travelling and when they are not
How we can support you
For over 35 years, International SOS has been at the forefront of supporting global workforces. As your people return to travel, we ensure that your organisation is ready against any risk. We take a comprehensive and integrated approach in enhancing your travel risk management policies, considering both health and security risks.
Our digital solutions like our Assistance App prepares, informs, and keeps your workforce safe. Wherever your employees are, they will have access to expert assistance and the latest health and security advice.