Employee safety: A moral responsibility of India Inc!

87% female business travellers faced gender-based negative experiences

Indian Subcontinent is now recognised as one of the world’s most economically competitive region. As the world becomes increasingly connected, organisations in the country are expanding beyond borders and stakeholders are no longer just within physical reach. According to Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), India is set to be the fastest growing market over the next 5 years with average growth rate of 11.3%. But as more employees hit the road for work, it’s imperative that their organisations also know how to keep them safe and informed.

A recent study commissioned by SAP Concur found that personal safety stood out as a key concern for business travellers with nearly 28% of the Indian travellers prioritizing safety. Employees are already making business travel decisions based on safety concerns. Business Travellers from India have changed their accommodation specifically because they have felt unsafe, and 50% have reduced travel to certain locations due to political unrest or health hazards.

This is especially true for female travellers, who are more vulnerable to unsafe circumstances. 87% of the female Indian business travellers have faced gender-based negative experiences while on a business trip, and some have re-planned their accommodation or skipped certain destinations as a result.

Organisations need to pay greater attention to the security of their employees when they are on the road. Duty of care and travel risk management programmes need to be at the forefront of these conversations. Not only will these programmes help organisations better assist staff during emergencies, simplified safety assurance processes can greatly improve their business travel experience.

As they say, Rome was not built in a day. But there are quick wins that organisations can implement to improve the duty of care they provide to staff.

• Ensure travel risk management programs support employee needs

Travel by nature is risky and more than 3 in 5 (61%) business travellers in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region are hoping to see their employers improve the travel safety tools they offer.

Organisations should also audit travel policies to ensure that company guidance is effective, inclusive, and prepares all employees for any type of situation they might encounter while traveling on behalf of their organisation.

Furthermore, employees want their organisations to provide training so they can proactively protect themselves while they plan and engage in business travel – more than half (53%) of business travellers in APAC view this as a valuable training topic.

• Use technology as a bridge to support employees

In our everyday lives, we take advantage of an array of apps on our smartphones to make day-to-day tasks easier. As technology becomes more accessible and ingrained into our lives, we expect our business travel experience to feel the same.

Employees are increasingly booking their own trips, choosing their own accommodation and making expense purchases right off their phones. If there is a need to adjust their itinerary, business travellers often turn to technology to do so. When faced with a cancellation in their business travel arrangements, 84% of business travellers in India would rather re-book online via a website or an app greater than the APAC average of 76% business travellers.

While the employees are quick to adopt technology in their personal lives, a majority of them believe their company lags behind in adopting the latest technology to make business travel easier. For all the risks that business travellers face, technology can help organisations level up their duty of care program and close gaps in travel risk management programs. A disaster can strike without warning and organisations need to be able to locate and communicate with staff to provide assistance, anywhere and anytime.

• Know where your employees are

Most employees understand the importance of their organisation knowing their whereabouts when on a business trip, especially during an unforeseen crisis. 66% percent of business travellers have shared their location while travelling for their safety – for instance, to let emergency contacts know where they are. Business travellers in India are even more likely to share their locations, with 73% of those surveyed noting that they have location services enabled for this very reason.

Technologies today can collate data from organisations’ travel management partners, employees’ location check-ins and other sources to provide valuable insights for organisations to use to support their staff and manage risks. Integration of an organisation’s duty of care program with its travel and expense programmes will also expedite employee location and communication during crises.
 

Organisations have a moral responsibility to protect staff who are travelling for their business benefit. With the right plan and technologies in place, a company can greatly improve its ability to locate and communicate with travelling employees, and mitigate any dire situation they may be in.