A vast majority of travelers say their employers prioritize their health, safety and security on business trips, although a much smaller percentage said they feel supported in remote working situations, according to a recently published BCD Travel study of 674 travelers.
In the survey, which BCD conducted in August, 76 percent of traveler respondents said their employer "definitely" makes their well-being a priority, along with an additional 19 percent who said their employer "probably" does. Additionally, 68 percent of respondents said their company has a travel risk management policy, while 29 percent said they didn't know whether their employer had one and 3 percent said they didn't.
Most travelers also reported feeling relatively secure while traveling for business, with 75 percent saying they rarely or never feel unsafe on business trips. The most frequent cause of unease was when walking in the streets, cited by 44 percent of travelers as when they feel the least safe, followed by driving in unfamiliar locations at 43 percent and using public transportation at 40 percent.
Travelers were less sure of safety and security policies when working remotely, however. Thirty-six percent of respondents said they were always supported during remote work, but 18 percent said they were not supported, and an additional 25 percent said they did not know.
An even smaller percentage, 16 percent, said their companies offer medical or security support if something happens while traveling on leisure as an extension of a business trip. Twenty percent said their company does not, and a majority, 64 percent, didn't know their company's policy.
In a statement, BCD global COO and chief commercial officer Mike Janssen said companies need to "shift from travel risk management to people risk management" as workforces have changed in recent years. "Today's duty-of-care policies have to address the realities of hybrid or work-from-anywhere workforces as well as the changing values around traveler well-being."