Six Items to Consider in Your Post-Pandemic Travel Policy

Post COVID-19, travel will continue to be an integral component of an organization’s growth.  It will be critical for those companies to re-assess their travel policies and implement changes to protect the safety of the staff as well as reduce overall risk.

CI Azumano Business Travel has created this short list of suggestions to help organizations consider possible elements of a post-pandemic travel policy.

1 - Define Essential Travel:

Consider defining what travel is essential for business operations. Non-essential travel can be subject to fines based on local, state, and federal level guidelines. “Essential travel only” can be open to interpretation. Precisely define what constitutes essential travel for your organization. CI Azumano Business Travel recommends taking a collaborative and cross-functional approach to determining your Covid-19 travel policy. This may include your HR department, legal consultants, risk management teams as well as key stakeholders.

2 - Mandate the Use of Preferred Travel Partners:

Booking through your Travel Management Company’s (TMC’s) online booking solution, or with one of their qualified travel agents will help travelers choose airlines, hotels, and car rental suppliers that have been selected for multiple reasons including enhanced cleanliness standards.

All existing suppliers and their policies should be revisited to validate that they are maintaining appropriate safety protocols that reduce employee risk.

For example, your organization may currently mandate a lowest logical fare rule (lowest cost of an air ticket) that could inadvertently increase costs to the business if the employee is forced to select a carrier that is not taking necessary precautions to protect clients (such as requiring face masks or limiting passenger capacity).  

3 - Give your Travelers the Option to Decline Travel:

Consider a documented process for the employee to decline or declare that they are traveling voluntarily. An employee may be reluctant to travel if they are high-risk from COVID-19. This could be based on age, medical condition, or at-home circumstances. Prohibit travelers with known health issues from traveling. In addition, organizations may consider a waiver verifying the traveler has no symptoms related to COVID-19 and has not been diagnosed in the recent past. Symptoms may include fever, chills, shortness of breath, or loss of taste and smell. For a complete list of symptoms, refer to this page from the Centers for Disease Control.

4 - Equip Your Travelers with Protective Equipment:

Depending on local and state laws, your organization could be required to provide protective equipment for travel. Employee travel kits could include Protective equipment like facemasks, hand sanitizer, wipes, and other sanitization items. Centers for Disease Control. Centers for Disease Control

Travel Kit items you may want to include:

• Masks

• Hand Sanitizer

• Disinfectant wipes

• Isopropyl wipes

• Travel laundry detergent

• Thermometer

• Digital oximeter

5 - Require Reviews of Origin & Destination Travel Advisories:

Travel advisories are constantly updated by the US State Department at this link. Employers may want to require a review of any travel restrictions or advisories in place. Advisories and restrictions could recommend (or in some cases require) social distancing, use of masks, and/or hand sanitizer, or limiting attendance at restaurants or bars.

6 - Clarify and Document Requirements for Returning Business Travelers:

Your organization should clearly define what requirements, if any, exist for employees returning from a business-related trip. This could include a 2-week, work-from-home mandate to minimize the risk of infecting coworkers. Consider requiring employees to undergo COVID-19 testing before returning to work (assume the business will cover the costs of the testing).

Business Travel Policies will likely continue to change as a result of new risks related to COVID-19. Organizations should consider restructuring travel policies to protect their travelers and reduce the liabilities associated with work-related illnesses.

These are just a few suggestions to consider, but ultimately, the decisions to update your travel policies should be taken with great care and with the consultation of your legal counsel.

For additional information, please feel free to reach out to CI Azumano Business Travel.

 Safe Travels!