Corporate Travel – Business trip preparation amidst the COVID-19 crisis
As the rates of deaths and infections due to the pandemic start to show signs of decreasing, countries have begun the process of opening their borders to international travelers; thus, making it possible for companies to start thinking of planning business trips. But, how do companies prepare for sending their people away for work? What are the steps they should take to make travel as safe as possible?
We believe the first step is to evaluate the impact COVID-19 has had at the planned destination. Travel planners must first take a look at the travel restrictions and make sure international travel is allowed and under what conditions. If domestic travel is also planned once in country, then it’s necessary to make sure adequate transportation is available. In many third world countries the crisis has impacted economy taking a toll on the less favored. This has caused security risks to increase. Has the health system been able to respond and is adequate healthcare available locally?
Next up is defining if the trip is necessary and if the traveler is fit to travel to the planned destination. Companies must establish priorities in travel. There must be an area that authorizes travel after going over certain criteria, i.e. all of the aspects described in the above paragraph. Then it’s important to make sure the traveler has a clean medical sheet which discards diabetes, hypertension and respiratory disease; three of the major factors which make the virus lethal. Then it’s important to go through a preparation process for the employee, which includes a briefing and provision of all necessary protection elements.
Once travel is approved and the actual trip takes place, it’s important for the company to constantly monitor the traveler and the conditions at the location. Establishing a communications protocol is paramount to establishing confidence both for the traveler abroad and headquarters. Making sure there are adequate health providers at the location and having their contact information will be of the utmost importance.
A crisis response plan must put in place in case there’s a spike of infections at the location visited. It’s important to define criteria to trigger a cancellation of the trip and return to headquarters and if that action is convenient or if it’s better to be confined locally if the facilities are adequate.
And, finally, what actions must be taken once the employee returns to headquarters after the trip. Should the employee be tested for COVID-19? Would an isolation period be convenient? Are the conditions at the employee’s home fine to establish a period of home office? What is the plan of action if an employee falls ill after a trip?
The risk of an infection will always be there. But, as long as pharmaceutical companies and governments aren’t able to find a vaccine for the virus, it’s up to companies to provide structure and protection to the travel process to make sure that company operations are not impacted further by the pandemic.