April is Stress Awareness Month and this year the theme is community. At Securewest we feel that it is important to highlight this especially in respect to your travellers. Ensuring they are fully supported and don’t feel isolated when away is essential.
Travelling for work or study is often seen as a positive opportunity, it allows you to see new places, experience different countries and cultures and engage in face-to-face meetings and events. However, for some it can increase stress and anxiety levels. Being in unfamiliar environments and situations as well as away from family and friends, suffering from tiredness relating to long journeys and time differences, and unhealthy routines and eating habits are just a few of the negative effects travelling can have on an employee’s mental health and wellbeing. Lack of support can cause loneliness and isolation.
According to a recent survey by BCD Travel 9 in 10 business travellers consider employee wellbeing as a company priority. However, when it comes to business traveller wellbeing, only half of respondents are aware of traveller wellbeing support in place.
Covid 19 has also had a tremendous impact with workplace closures, home schooling, community lockdowns, isolation and uncertainty resulting in much higher levels of stress and anxiety for many people.
Physical and mental ill-health can strike at any time. A comprehensive Travel Risk Management solution can help you manage your traveller’s stress, anxiety and wellbeing. It’s not only vital to include safeguarding measures whilst employees are away, but there also needs to be a more preventative approach, addressing wellbeing and mental health in pre travel training and within travel policies.
To provide this reassurance and to instil confidence, a well thought out, clearly articulated, and communicated Travel Risk Management Programme, underpinned by a Travel Safety Policy, is essential.
5 ways a Travel Risk Programme can support traveller wellbeing and mental health:
1. Travel Policies
Are your travel policies and procedures up to date, relevant and meet the requirements of legislation and best practice? Do they include a wellbeing programme and focus on duty of care? A Travel Risk Management company will help you develop or review your policy to ensure safety and wellbeing is at the core. A clear policy is fundamental, so travellers are reassured you are taking the matter seriously and recognise there are guidelines and support in place.
2. Pre-trip Information
Understanding Covid regulations, restrictions and documents required can be an added stress factor for travellers. As well as having information on safety concerns and risks. A Travel Risk platform will give you and your travellers access to accurate, real-time information and a travel risk assessment will help identify any threats that they could face whilst traveling and help put measures in place to mitigate those risks. Reducing these stress triggers before travel will have a positive impact on an employee’s wellbeing.
3. Pre travel training
Pre travel training informs travellers about the risks they could face and makes them aware of the behaviours and conduct that can help keep them safe giving them the confidence to face unfamiliar situations and locations and will help to ensure that even small incidents do not escalate into crises.
4. One Platform and App
A travel risk management platform and app allows organisations to manage employee safety and risk/crisis management. Through world-leading technology and an innovative solution you will be able to inform, communicate and locate so employees don’t feel isolated and are able to access support and assistance at their fingertips.
5. Access to 24/7 Support and Assistance
A Travel Risk Management company often operates a 24/7 response centre, 365 days a year, providing support, advice and response anytime, wherever you are in the world. In the case of an incident, experienced emergency responders will rapidly assist, managing and supporting your travellers following an organisation’s agreed incident response protocols. They can also link to other providers such as an insurance or healthcare company or offer full-support incident management, so you only have a single point of contact.
A comprehensive Travel Risk Management solution can help your travellers feel better prepared, reduce stress levels and feel more supported thus reducing anxiety, for more information about our Travel Risk services and for a free demonstration and 30 day trial of our platform and a no obligation quotation please contact sales@securewest.com