Travel Matters - January 2016

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12 | GREAT IDEAS
DID YOU KNOW?
…that you shouldn’t tip in Japan but you should in the US and India?
Japanese are eager to provide great service so a thank you (arigatou
gozaimasu) will suffice, says Crown World Mobility.
programme have board-level strategic
backing of the Risk Manager,” concludes the
report.
FERMA and International SOS
conducted a one-minute survey to gather
organisations’ practices and views of travel
risk management. The results – based on
responses from 191people - demonstrate
that only 27% of respondents were involved
as leaders vs. 45% as stakeholders.
In this joint paper, FERMA and
International SOS discovered that the
importance of Travel Risk Management is
not limited to compliance vis-à-vis legal
and moral obligations, but that it also brings
concrete business and reputational benefits
to an organisation.
Many studies including ’Return on
Prevention’ have highlighted that the cost
of a failed assignment far exceeds the price
of effective training, risk assessments and
overall, advanced Travel Risk Management.
To the same extent, losing an employee due
to a lack of care and/or preparation has a
greater hidden financial cost that cannot
be evaluated. This is due to reputational,
emotional and psychological impacts on the
company, their sub-contractors and partners.
International SOS & FERMA firmly believe
in prevention, information and preparation
of organisations, institutions and
international assignees vis-à-vis their duties,
obligations and responsibilities.
In this context, both International SOS
and FERMA are joining their expertise and
experience to promote a more responsible
and people-focused approach to Travel Risk
Management.
Source: The report outlined above has
been compiled and produced jointly
by International SOS and FERMA (The
Federation of European Risk Management
Associations). Download the full report
here:
Paper-2015.
Companies who send workers on
international assignments implement
processes and solutions to fulfill their legal
and moral obligations. European countries
and European-based organisations sending
workers abroad are increasingly aware of the
importance of this topic but despite these
efforts, they remain insufficient, believes Dr.
Lisbeth Claus of International SOS.
In a joint ISOS study with FERMA* on
European trends in travel risk management,
research identifies that although companies
commonly conduct risks assessment and
planning, advanced measures such as
traveller tracking and pre-departure training
are seldom implemented. These are often
adopted once a serious incident or a “near-
miss” has occurred.
Moreover, even if such capabilities are
established as they are in most multinational
companies, they are often isolated and
incomplete. Providing Risk and Insurance
managers with a legal framework relevant
to their activities, combined with practical
solutions designed by professionals, are
some of the steps required to filling that
vacuum.
In this effort to better protect
international assignees, the Risk
Manager has an ideal positioning in any
internationally established company.
His/her holistic perception of both the
security and insurance aspects of Travel
Risk Management is critical to evaluate
and design efficient preventive solutions
and practical responses to any situation
an organisation might face when sending
workers abroad.
In order to be successful, the strategy
and the involvement of the Risk Manager
must be understood by all key stakeholders
and endorsed at the highest level of the
company.
“European-based organisations with
a successful Travel Risk Management
RISKY BUSINESS
A joint report on European trends in travel risk management highlights how best
to manage health, safety and security risks to workers on international travel
“companies need
to be able to
implement robust
and scalable
solutions to
protect the health,
safety and security
of their travellers
and expats”
About International SOS
International SOS
is the world’s leading medical and travel
security risk services company. It cares for
clients across the globe, from more than 700
locations in 89 countries. Its expertise is
unique: more than 11,000 employees are led
by 1,200 doctors and 200 security specialists.
Teams work night and day to protect its
members. It is passionate about helping
clients put ‘Duty of Care’ into practice.