The success of a business trip is largely down to the preparation. When you and your employee are underprepared for travel or relocation, you are leaving yourself open to an array of common business travel mishaps. Whether it’s booking last minute, going beyond the corporate budget, arriving late to the accommodation, unclear policies, failing to plan, or a lack of knowledge of local customs – these mistakes can disrupt the trip and risk the safety of your employee.

Avoiding business travel risks is part of your duty of care to your employee. So that leaves the question – how do you reduce the likelihood of such mishaps happening? And how to plan for when things do go wrong overseas? Let’s dive into some top tips to help you think ahead and prepare for a smooth-running business trip. 

How to prepare for common business travel mishaps 

1. Research  

Proactive planning is key for business travel. Businesses should ensure they’ve fully researched the location which employees will be visiting or relocating to, and using this knowledge will best prepare the traveler for spending time in the area. Research could include where local amenities are in relation to the accommodation and ensuring the accommodation you choose for your employee is fully vetted.

Employee health is particularly important to monitor during business travel. Start by running through a risk assessment with your employee. This will help to identify any ongoing health risks. Next, find out where the nearest medical facilities are and the best route to take should anything happen. Also, don’t forget to look up the safety of local food and water plus vaccination requirements before the trip. 

1. Predictive technology  

Travel managers can now lean on tech solutions to help them plan and prepare for business travel. For example, GeoSure, the location risk identification tool, has been designed to make businesses aware of area-specific issues that could affect a traveler during their trip. Likewise, Augurisk alerts travel managers of natural disaster warnings so they can avoid locations at risk, or if employees are already traveling, provide them with up-to-date information. 

It also doesn’t hurt to look for accommodation with online guest communication so travelers can inform the housing provider if they’re delayed and running late, to avoid issues upon arrival. 

Tech will continue to evolve and provide support to travel managers and employees in the year ahead. Research shows that tech adoption has been widely beneficial with 55% of Americans stating that the mobile apps provided by their companies have improved their business travel experiences. 

1. Awareness 

It’s vital for businesses and employees to keep their ears to the ground prior to and during business trips. It’s part of your duty of care as an employer to be aware of any events or political instability that may affect your employee’s safety and security during their trip. So, again, do your research, watch the news, read articles, and invest in tech that can keep you updated on advancing risks. 

If, when planning, you deem that the risks are too high, you can then choose to change travel plans for the safety of your employee. If the risks are minor but still present, preparing your employee can help keep them safe while at the location. This way, they’ll know what to expect, how to act according to local customs, and what to do if something occurs – as you’ll have an action plan in place for them to take. 

External risks aren’t the only issue employees can run into while traveling for business. Employees are also subject to burnout or mental health issues. Risk assessments help you, as an employer, to be aware of these risks so you can best support your traveling employee. 

1. Training 

Training is highly valuable in business travel. To stay safe and within local law, your employees need to know the regulations of the area they are visiting. Something that’s legal in your home state may not be in the state or country they’re visiting. Knowledge truly is power when it comes to keeping your employees safe. 

It’s also helpful to get business travelers up to date on local customs and, if possible, to learn a little of the language. And, with ever-changing travel regulations, ensure employees are in the know of what they need to do and have with them while traveling. 

Make sure employees are well versed in the corporate travel policy too, this will help them stay on budget when it comes to expenses, and avoid issues on their return.

Business travel risks can be significantly reduced with a few simple steps: research, tech adoption, awareness, and training. Following these prep tips helps companies to stick to duty of care policies and set up employees for a safe and productive trip. 

3Sixty

3Sixty, the business travel industry’s most secure and intuitive accommodation platform, helps employees to book and manage their stay in over one million quality, cost-effective rooms and properties around the world. 

Get two steps ahead in your planning process by booking pre-vetted accommodation options with built-in 24/7 guest communication on our marketplace.