Most travelers are familiar with the company's travel policy, though most also say they have deviated from that policy, according to a BCD Travel survey of 1,201 business travelers around the world.
The survey, conducted April 10-19, showed that 96 percent of respondents said their company has a published travel policy, and 62 percent said they at least sometimes refer to that policy when they are planning a business trip. In addition, 95 percent said they knew how to find that policy if they needed to consult it.
However, about two-thirds of travelers surveyed said they do not always comply with their company's travel policy, according to BCD. Among all travelers surveyed, 45 percent said they did so but "rarely," while 17 percent said they deviate from their policy "sometimes." Only 4 percent said they deviate from travel policy often or always.
"Based on our survey results, travelers in [North America] are less inclined to consult their corporation’s travel policy compared to travelers from [Asia/Pacific] and Europe," BCD Americas president Craig Bailey said in a statement. "This could result in more out-of-policy bookings. While these bookings create extra costs and, in some cases, risk issues, the lack of awareness around policy changes could also hurt the organization's overall goals, for instance, regarding sustainability."
The most frequently cited reason for policy deviation was the need to book out-of-policy lodging or transportation for a client meeting, listed by 31 percent of respondents. That was followed by conferences or events with accommodations that required either nonpreferred suppliers or those more expensive than policies allow, cited by 28 percent of travelers. A smaller percentage said it was either ignorance of policies (6 percent) or for personal benefit, such as accumulating loyalty points (5 percent).
More than 90 percent of respondents said they receive at least some level of communication around travel policy, with 57 percent saying such communication occurred frequently or often. About a third of total respondents said communication around travel policy occurred rarely, according to BCD. Email was the most frequent source of communication, cited by 70 percent of respondents.
The survey indicated travelers were generally satisfied with the travel policies, with just over half either "extremely" or "somewhat" satisfied. Just over 30 percent were ambivalent toward their travel policies, while 17 percent were dissatisfied.
In terms of employee retention, however, the survey indicated travel policy is not a major factor. Only 8 percent of respondents said the travel policy influenced their decision to join their company, and more than three-quarters said they either received no information around travel policy when offered their job or that they didn't recall receiving such information. A higher 26 percent said travel policy influences their willingness to stay with the company.
Policy had a larger bearing on retention among Asia/Pacific business travelers, with about half saying it had an effect on their decision whether to stay with a company, according to BCD. Bailey added that not sharing travel policy during employee onboarding was a missed opportunity for companies.
"They’re excited and eager to learn," according to Bailey. "Take advantage of that and stress the importance of your travel policy to new employees. Explain what it is, how it relates to company goals, and why it’s important to comply with the policy."