A Crucial Business Element: Travel Risk Management for Smaller Organizations

Creating a structured approach to implementing, evaluating, and reviewing a Travel Risk Management Program is crucial, even for smaller companies and organizations. It not only helps fulfill Duty of Care responsibilities to mitigate foreseeable risks and threats but also promotes a culture that takes medical and security travel threats seriously, boosting employee confidence in travel, knowing they will be well cared for in any situation.

A good starting point is to identify the framework for managing health and security risks. Proactivity is the key because prevention is always greater than cure; travelers should understand the risks associated with their destination and how to mitigate them before setting out on a journey.

The global threat landscape has evolved significantly, necessitating renewed efforts on risk identification, analysis, and evaluation in destinations of exposure.

Identify and Continuously Assess Travel Risks

Risks and threats depend on location and include everything from pandemics to civil unrest to crime and travel delays. These risks should be continually evaluated and included as part of your company’s Travel Risk Management process. Regularly updated analysis of the health, environmental, security, and natural disaster threats should be accessible to all employees.

There are numerous challenges across all sectors when it comes to Travel Risk Management. But two of the biggest are educating employees about risks and motivating them to help prevent those risks. This is where implementing a well-thought-out and researched program with an emphasis on crisis prevention and support tools is essential.

Plans are only as strong as the weakest link, so it's fundamental that everyone knows their roles and responsibilities. Training, whether online or in-person, ensures everyone is prepared for emergencies, evacuations, and monitoring risks.

Technology enables efficient employee travel tracking, and societal awareness of these solutions creates an expectation for their use. Employers who fail to use them may lose credibility and damage traveler confidence.

Embed Prevention Into Travel Approval and Planning

It’s important that guidelines on the management of health and safety risks are clear and concise. And approval for travel should be done based on health and security risk in line with the destination and organizational compliance procedures and risk tolerance.

Managing health and safety challenges is also part of these preventative measures, including having plans for dealing with emergencies, evacuations, and relocations, as well as assessments of the quality of care and insurance coverage at local medical facilities. An accredited list of hotels, accommodations, and transportation providers should also be maintained.

In times of uncertainty and an evolving threat landscape, proactive communication with employees and travelers is essential to advise them on avoiding threats and ensuring support. Clear roles and responsibilities must be established, including managing responses. Organizations should prepare tools and protocols in advance, rather than improvising.

Educate Travelers to Reduce Risk Exposure

Travelers should be educated on the Travel Risk Management program and know how to access travel security advice, assistance, and what to do in an emergency. Annual refresher courses can be accomplished by online training or even a fun in-person event and should be part of the new hire onboarding process.

Everyone should have access to medical and security advice and support 24/7, covering all destinations that are relevant.

While there are certain safety rules all travelers should follow, specific travelers may face unique security situations abroad. Depending on the location, some may be viewed as more vulnerable targets and will generally face a higher level of risk than their counterparts.

Organizations continue to look for support and advice to help business travelers and international assignees be aware and stay protected, as well as prevent their work from being interrupted. To help prepare for international travel or assignments, organizations should consider specific training.

Employee mental and emotional health can be severely affected in this time of uncertainty. That includes a return to the office and travel. Ensuring that they have the necessary resources to protect their mental health resilience is critical in safeguarding their overall health and well-being.

Be sure to have detailed itineraries of where your travelers are and know how to contact them if necessary. Make sure everyone is booking through approved channels, and be ready to take corrective action with those who don’t follow the procedures.

Best Practices for Implementation

Maintain evidence that records when and how your workforce has been informed and made aware of and agree to potential risk exposures. Processes should be in place to ensure your people comply with these policies and include random audits, reminders, and corrective action for repeat offenders (like constantly booking outside of approved channels).

Managers can use technological automation to ensure staff receive and acknowledge risk information, reducing liability risks and encouraging staff to understand travel risks and management strategies. While some resistance is natural, implementing such a system is essential for a mature travel risk management program.

Find the Right Partners

Travel Risk Management partners should be an extension of your organization, serving as a trusted advisor.

They need to have boots-on-the-ground in places relevant to your organization, acting as your eyes and ears along with knowledgeable medical, security, and logistics experts well-placed to help in any challenge. They should also be flexible in tailoring solutions to meet your unique needs.

For more information on International SOS and Zurich American Insurance Company’s partnership, visit here.