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“Frequent travel can take a toll on a person’s psychological, emotional and physical health. It is important for travel buyers to factor in a traveller’s dietary options, physical fitness and personal downtime while travelling”


we showed we truly cared about their wellbeing, not just their safety.” Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) says its


clients are now putting greater focus on health and wellbeing. “Organisations need to adapt to an evolving workforce with dif- ferent ways of working, and this influences how they have to reassess traveller health and wellbeing,” says Geraldine Valenti, senior director at CWT Solutions Group. Lesley O’Bryan, vice-president and princi-


pal at Advito, BCD Travel’s consultancy arm, agrees: “We’re seeing more and more travel managers refining policies and incorporat- ing programmes that focus on improving their employees’ health and wellbeing. “Frequent travel can take a toll on a per-


son’s psychological, emotional and physical health. It is important for travel buyers to factor in a traveller’s dietary options, physical fitness and personal downtime while travelling.”


BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM


DUTY-OF-CARE In the UK, employers have a legal duty-of- care for their employees wherever they are based or travelling, while the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations mean that companies also have the respon- sibility of undertaking risk assessments. Occupational health specialist Marina


Waters, managing director of OH Works, explains: “If they are travelling as a result of their job, all of their time spent away from home is the responsibility of the employer. Organisations should have clear policies regarding their responsibility for employee health and wellbeing while abroad as there is a clear duty-of-care and legal responsibility.” She adds that companies should under-


take risk assessments for every traveller to “identify any potential risks and seek to reduce the risks to an acceptable level”. “The health risks of travelling to Europe may be very different than travelling to Asia


or Africa,” says Waters. “The amount of time spent away travelling and the standard of accommodation also has an effect on risk, particularly when considering things such as food poisoning, which can be significant depending on the country being visited.” There is also the potential liability risk


to employers, warns Pip English, global product leader for travel risk management at FCM Travel Solutions. He says: “If a fore- seeable risk exists and the employer fails to advise travellers or misrepresents the severity of that risk, then they can be liable for a health-related issue in the same way as a safety and security issue. Examples could be failing to provide adequate immunisation advice for travellers going to a high-risk area of diseases like malaria, cholera or hepatitis.” For Julie Oliver, managing director of Busi-


ness Travel Direct, there is also a duty on employers to ensure that “travellers are well looked after, and not under considerable


BBT January/February 2017 117


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