How to increase employee safety?

The COVID-19 epidemiological situation has frozen business travel and much of the global economy. We currently live in uncertain times that impose considerable restrictions on us. The first vaccines have appeared, and many countries are reopening their borders. This means that business trips are slowly being resumed.

Despite the boom in online meetings, not all things can be done remotely. Employees still move between company headquarters, visiting clients and investors. We know how important the safety of travelers is, which is why we have prepared a series of articles for you, in which you will find advice on how to increase the safety of employees during business trips in the “new reality”.

We have prepared a series of employee safety tips especially for you. Read them to make traveling as safe and stress-free as possible.

 

So, how to make travels as safe and stress-free as possible? Stay updated

First and foremost. From the traveler’s point of view – the most important thing is to have access to the latest information on the COVID-19 situation. Information about both the destination and the place of departure is important. Sometimes the rules even change from hour to hour.

The European Union is planning to introduce top-down regulations for the travel and movement of people in the Member States. However, no binding arrangements have been made so far. For this reason, it is very important to monitor the rules on an ongoing basis, not only in the destination country but also in the country of departure. The situations prevailing in the given countries differ greatly.

 

The most important thing is to use proven sources and information. Choose government and similar sites that are trustworthy. Always such, with verified information.

At Hotailos, we provide our clients with access to the latest information to minimize the risk of unpleasant surprises during the trip. We strengthened the so-called “Duty of care” in our technology. Our solution is built with the safety by design assumption – built-in safety of travelers. We’ve added COVID-19 incidence statistics to our system. Already at the travel planning stage, you will be informed about the current number of cases in the region you are going to.

Currently, some countries require various types of formalities related to tightening security measures. Before departing, be sure to check (or ask your agent to do it for you):

  • Do you need additional forms or a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) in the country to which your employee is traveling? Should it be an online version or a paper version?
  • Do you need to take additional steps before traveling, e.g. register on an online website tracking passenger traffic in a given country and obtain a QR code?
  • How long does it take to generate such formalities?
  • Do you currently need an actual, negative COVID-19 test when crossing the border in a given country? If so, how many days before the travel should it be done prior in order for it to be acknowledged.

 

Another very important aspect of increasing the safety of employees during business trips is: Location employees in real-time

The current situation in the world is very complicated. Especially regarding important business trips. Often companies, especially large ones, have no idea where their employees are. They are then left without any support.

Such a thing cannot be allowed now.

At Hotailors, the system has also been enriched with the “Tavel Tracker” function, ie. locating employees in real time. This solution provides access, among other things, to the phone number, e-mail or employee’s location. We are constantly improving our travel policy settings. You can set the maximum distance from the hotel to your main destination. Thanks to this, you can minimize the risk of excessive movement of employees in the current epidemiological situation.

 

Safety is very important, especially when it comes to traveling. That is why it is so important from the employer’s perspective: Guaranteeing support and care in the event of a crisis

Most of the people who travel are worried about what will happen to them if their flight is canceled. Especially if it is their first flight on the route and in the event of a delay, they may not make it to the next flight.

If all flights are operated by the same airline and are included in one booking, the situation is way easier. In this case, the specific airline provides the solution to the problem – providing accommodation and rebooking the flight for a new one for the soonest date possible. However, the situation becomes more complicated when we travel to a destination with different airlines.

 

What to do in a case like this?

One of our providers, KIWI, provides the so-called guarantee of reaching your destination. It is insurance against various unpleasant circumstances.

 

How does it work?

The time needed for a transfer at a given airport is calculated and the answer whether the transfer has a chance of success or not is then given.

If the transfer is to be unsuccessful – proper care is guaranteed. Similar to the airlines – accommodation and/or alternative transport is provided accordingly.

 

In the current COVID-19 epidemic, reducing the risk of infection to workers is the most important aspect. A group of people or long lines can be such a source. In order to increase the safety of your employees during numerous business trips, it is also important to limit contact with other travelers. That’s why: Recommend online check-in and hand luggage

We always strongly recommend our clients to choose the online check-in option whenever possible, and to travel with hand luggage only. Sure, the latter proposal can often be unrealistic, especially when it comes to longer trips. However, if you care about the smooth and quick process of completing the routine steps at the airport, it is worth considering.

Online check-in and traveling with hand luggage have many advantages. Among other things, it allows you to bypass the bane of many travelers – endless queues. This was not a pleasant thing even before the pandemic broke out. Additionally, now that it is important and advisable to keep the distance and keep the direct contact with others to a minimum, we have no doubts that skipping the lines significantly reduces the level of stress for the travelers. After all, why get upset and put your health at an unnecessary risk when the whole thing may be an inconvenience of the past.

Besides, we are aware that time is a valuable thing. When traveling on business, you rarely have too much of it, and it is of no benefit for the traveler to waste it checking in. Therefore, it is worth focusing on the advantages of the online check-in option and traveling with hand luggage – to honestly consider this proposal, as it can have a very positive impact on the journey and the well-being of the traveler.

 

Don’t forget the insurance. Choosing insurance during a business trip is a very important aspect of it. Especially at the present time, when it should include the payment of benefits and coverage of costs in the event of coronavirus infection.

It is worth doing this to protect your employee and so, in fact, the entire company. Finding a policy that meets all our expectations is not an easy task. Most insurers have eliminated cases of infection with the virus from the scope of travel insurance when traveling to an epidemic country. You should study the GTC (General Terms and Conditions) very carefully so that your company is not charged with the costs of treatment of the employee in case of the infection.

Some insurance companies have introduced a special insurance against an illness. However, even in the case of a dedicated insurance, you should check if there are any exceptions.

If you have an agent involved in organizing your business trips, it would be good for him to find the most satisfactory insurance for you.

 

Choose offers with a full cost refund

The best offers are those that can be canceled or changed. Especially in times of the pandemic, we recommend that you choose carefully before buying a ticket or booking accommodation. It is important that you can eventually change the date or cancel the trip. Both transport companies and hotels offer slightly more expensive options that allow you to remain flexible when making reservations or purchases.

 

You never know what’s going to happen, especially now.

Airlines also come to the aid of passengers because they offer fares with different conditions. Some of them allow you to cancel your booking completely free of charge. Others allow you to change the date. This is a particularly important aspect for people who have to go on their business trip anyway.

Due to the current global situation, airlines are willing to change the dates of flights that will not take place. Often such a situation takes place due to the emergence of new government restrictions. Suddenly, the scheduled flights to the given country are not taking place anymore. Still, it’s a good idea to invest in a flexible tariff. This saves time negotiating with airlines, which can drag on for a long time. If you have a travel agent, they will contact the airline in case of any changes.

However, remember that this type of an offer does not work everywhere. Read carefully the terms and conditions of the tariffs concerned before choosing the right one for you. Each airline may have its own operating conditions on different routes or in different countries. They can also change. It is worth following this information on an ongoing basis on the websites of a given carrier.

 

How does it work for hotels?

The case is similar. Some hotels offer free cancellations. Others allow you to change the date to a different date. It also happens that some of the facilities that are part of larger networks have special procedures in place in case of problems with reaching their hotel.

 

By providing the possibility of a flexible change of departure date, you help your employees. You also eliminate possible travel stress in times of the pandemic.

 

Favor hotels close to your destination. In order to reduce the risk of the employee getting infected, try to choose the facility that is closest to the travel destination, e.g. conferences, training. Preferably at such a distance that he can cover this distance by foot. Thanks to this, he will avoid risky situations, as when using public transport.

Before the pandemic, the vast majority of employees chose downtown hotels. They then had the opportunity to visit many local attractions. The so-called Bleisure, which is a combination of pleasant and useful. Currently, it is difficult because many facilities in different countries are closed and it is not possible to visit them.

 

The potential incidence of one employee’s COVID-19 infection could result in other team members being infected with other unpleasant consequences for the entire company.

At Hotailors, we help you have more control over your employee’s choices. For example, we make it possible to create a list of hotels that are available to be selected by the employee. You can also set the maximum distance of the hotel from the main destination as an option required in your travel policy.

 

Choose chain hotels due to higher sanitary standards.

Use large hotel chains because they have adequate facilities to adapt to new restrictions and procedures.

 

We recommend staying in large hotel chains because they have clearly defined procedures. Guidelines and strictly imposed restrictions can be difficult for small facilities to meet.

A good example are chain hotels in the United States that have implemented the procedures proposed by the American Hotel & Lodging Association called Stay Safe. For example, it contains checklists for use by cleaning staff. Among the recommendations in this process is also a contactless check-in or guidelines on how often to clean the panels with buttons.

 

In Poland, there are also various guidelines that have been issued by the Ministry of Development in cooperation with the Chief Sanitary Inspector. They are aimed at hotel and other accommodation facility managers.

Currently, hotels around the world promote safety rules through their marketing activities. By using advertising materials on their websites, they emphasize the importance of taking care of your health. However, we are not able to determine how effective these activities are. Therefore, we recommend choosing hotel chains that have built their power based on procedures.

 

Isolation of workers upon return.

One can imagine the serious consequences of direct contact between those who have just returned from their trip. Especially when one or both of them were among people from different parts of the world. These days, it’s a horror scene that gives you shivers down your spine.

For the safety of employees, it is therefore recommended that those who have just returned from a business trip or a vacation, be separated from the rest of the team for at least five days. Remember that although the symptoms of COVID-19 may sometimes appear up to three weeks after infection, the symptoms often appear in the first days of the disease.

 

Remote work is the perfect solution here. This option is not only convenient but also economical. After all, taking precautionary measures as in the way described above can prevent the possible spread of the virus and the eventual infection of the entire team – an almost apocalyptic scenario for the company.

 

Diversify the means of transport. In case you are sending a group of employees to the same place, it is a good idea to send them by different means of transport.

Nowadays, the means of mass transport can be a cause of an infection – a large number of people staying in one room at the same time for a long time. For this reason, we recommend that you find various means of transport for your employees whenever possible. In the event of a possible infection, you will not lose your entire team. Many companies choose to divide their employees into different shifts to limit their contact with each other. It is important that the company does not discontinue its activity due to a large number of people becoming ill at the same time. It is not known whether they will be able to remotely perform their work.

 

Even in the absence of a pandemic, it is a good idea to send employees by various means of transport to reduce the risk of accidents. Obviously, this is a black scenario, but it’s good to be preventive. These are extremely rare situations, but it’s good to have procedures in place that will ensure the continuity of your business, no matter what the circumstances.

 

Wear, change, disinfect, don’t touch. Compliance with sanitary restrictions and recommendations is now the responsibility of each of us. There is little we can do about this, it is extremely important that we show our responsibility diligently. Therefore, we recommend that your employees regularly pay attention to the following points:

 

WEARING A MASK

Keep in mind that when we are among strangers, wearing a mask can protect us from the risk of contracting the virus or prevent others from becoming infected from us, if, contrary to our knowledge, we are carriers of COVID-19. We should remember this not only when required by law or when it is not possible to keep a safe distance, but always when we leave the house.

 

REGULAR CHANGE OF MASK

Wearing a mask is one thing and changing it regularly is another. Unfortunately, wearing one and the same mask non-stop is not enough. To be sure that we are protected against the risk of infection, doctors order the mask to be changed regularly. Changing your medical mask should happen after four to six hours of use. Changing the on-medical, when it gets wet.

 

FREQUENT HAND DISINFECTION

We also urge you to disinfect your hands frequently. Sure, we don’t always have soap and water available. So it’s worth equipping yourself with special disinfectants, which you will always have at hand. Currently, you can buy them practically in every store. However, we advise you to pay attention to the capacity of the bottle when traveling with hand luggage. The allowed capacity is 100ml.

 

AVOIDING TOUCHING AN UNSAFE SURFACE WHICH IS FREQUENTLY TOUCHED BY OTHER PEOPLE

It is also worth protecting yourself in the way of touching as few objects and surfaces as possible because this can also contribute to our possible infection with the virus. Of course, this is not an easy thing to do, especially when we are in large places such as an airport or an office. But let us try to keep this in mind. Finally, it is important not to touch the face and the outside of the mask with your hands.

 

For your own safety and that of other employees, try to follow the above-mentioned recommendations. This can save many from an unnecessary misfortune.

 

More ways to increase employee safety during business trips in our free ebook, download here.

 

Greetings,
Hotailors Team