Canadian HR Reporter

4 www.hrreporter.com N E W S "And companies, who in the past didn't necessarily put a high priority on duty of care now, because of the pandemic, have certainly put a high priority on duty of care and making sure that everybody is aware of the current situations at the destinations that their travellers are going to." While people in essential services, such as engineering, bioscience and govern- ment have been travelling throughout the pandemic, they've had to deal with the various restrictions and protocols, says Robertson. "And it's had to be a very fluid situa- tion, because it's been changing all over the place. One day, a country's got one set of rules; the next day, a country's got another set of rules. So, our travel advisors have had to learn how to adapt and manipulate the system to get people to the destinations, or, more importantly, in a lot of cases, to get them home from where they are," he says. "We had this happen a couple of times in the Netherlands, where Amsterdam is a very popular place of connecting for international travellers, and they just all of a sudden added another test." The key is understanding where your employees are and being able to get in touch with them, says Doyle. " The reporting and communica- tion that you're having with travellers, should something change, is critically important." There are online solutions and apps that allow for that two-way communica- tion and last-minute emergencies, he says. "[It's about] 'How do we get them out of a country if something's changed?' And those are factors that will change; it's going to be fluid as countries open up or close." Employers should also understand that travel is very personal now, says Tudorache, and employees need the right tools and resources. "It's no longer just about how many points you can get on your loyalty rewards when you fly; it's about really, truly satisfying the individual's personal level of confidence." It's also about making sure that the companies have a duty of care policy that supports them through their entire journey, from start to finish, she says. "From there, it's the knowledge sharing — the current knowledge around the ever-changing restrictions, the poli- cies, the health protocols. Whether it's a domestic traveller or crossing borders, companies need to be on top of all of the completely changing dynamics that are here today." On the backend side, it's also important to make sure they've got a program that has preferred suppliers that are well-vetted — be it hotels, airlines or car rental companies — "make sure that they have the right poli- cies, procedures, cleanliness, sanitation protocols... whatever is relevant at that time," says Tudorache. CHRR IMPRESSIVE ROI FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL "It develops people personally and professionally, helps retain talent, and it helps build relationships. There's no substitute for in-person connections." Patrick Doyle, American Express Global Business Travel Canada 85% Percentage of decision- makers who say it reinvigorates employee engagement 90% Percentage of decision-makers who say it helps advance workers' professional growth 84% Percentage of decision-makers who say it helps attract employees 83% Percentage of decision-makers who say it helps retain employees 85% Percentage of decision-makers who say it helps both profit and revenue Source: American Express and American Express Global Business Travel

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