„With New Work, the topic of travel risk management must also be thought about and implemented in a broader way. Many companies are still at the beginning. We have created a checklist that companies can use to assess their current status.” Corinna Döpkens
Everything is different! A good three years ago, going to the office every day was a matter of course, but due to the sudden compulsion to work from home, flexible working models and remote work have become a matter of course. And at a pace that would have been unthinkable under normal conditions.
But this also brings with it a changed perspective on the issue of travel security – and above all the need for more care transparency. Because travel security and its clear communication are important building blocks in the employer branding of companies in times of New Work. Working where others go on holiday – “safety first” also applies here!
Realign travel risk management policies
So far, companies are positioned differently – some have already implemented clear guidelines and processes, others are at the very beginning or have not even dealt with this spatial and temporal delimitation of work. As a result, many employees and their contacts in the companies often do not know exactly whether the insurance covers a bleisure trip or whether the service of the travel risk programme can be used during a workation. In the worst-case scenario, these safety deficits not only lead to unresolved insurance claims, but also to employees losing trust in their employer. Certainly not a plus in the “war of talents”.
In order to take advantage of the positive impact of “travel and work” and the motivation in the company as an employer, travel risk management policies need to be realigned to hybrid and mobile working models. For a review of the status in the company, it is useful to create a checklist. The contents depend on how comprehensive the employer is in travel risk.
The following points are by no means exhaustive, but they provide impulses and serve as an occasion for companies to generally scrutinise their processes in the area of travel security:
Generell audit of insurance in the company such as:
- Accident insurance: If business trips are started earlier than required or ended later than required for private reasons, the trip is not subject to statutory accident insurance cover. Is there private accident insurance in the company for this case?
- Business trip comprehensive insurance for business trips with the employee’s own car: Is the insurance cover limited to Europe, if applicable, and is there an excess for the employee in the event of a claim?
- Foreign travel health insurance: What is the maximum number of days insured per business trip, and are accompanying family members of the employee also insured? If so, how are these co-travellers covered? If applicable, via a travel application?
- Baggage insurance: Who pays if the laptop breaks on the beach? Is luggage insurance available in the company and up to what value are which items insured?
If your company uses a travel risk management system, the services and processes for work and leisure travel should also be reviewed, e.g.:
- Is a web-based information, early warning and communication system used, and can it be used by employees outside of the pure business trip?
- Are travel alerts sent to travellers as an early warning? Are these also possible for remote work abroad or bleisure travel?
- Does the Travel Risk Programme include travel tracking and is this also desirable for leisure travellers or in the context of a work assignment in terms of data protection and privacy?
- Can emergency numbers be used at any time? Also by family members?
- Are the passengers and, if applicable, accompanying persons fully supported and cared for in the event of medical and safety emergencies?
Corinna Döpkens …
is a consultant for Business Travel & Mobility and is currently doing her doctorate on the topic of leisure travel and work. The interest she is currently experiencing from companies in the course of her research interviews is enormous. She is convinced that the pressure to offer employees travel risk solutions is high everywhere.
Photos: © iStock.com/triklos
