Duty of care is a CEO-level responsibility, not just an HR task. Leadership teams need to be directly involved in decisions about protecting travelers, especially as economic, geopolitical, and social conditions change. Accountability starts with being informed so that you can make important safety decisions.
Business travel amplifies visibility, legal exposure and reputational risk, which is why it’s so important for CEOs and business leaders to remain informed and accountable. If you’re new to the concept, start with our full guide to duty of care in business travel.
This article is not a definition of what is duty of care, but instead a way to guide business leaders and CEOs to uncover the essential information so that you can protect your employees while making decisions that drive your business goals forward.
1. CEOs hold ultimate accountability
Wondering what CEO duty of care responsibilities are or what your employer duty of care obligations are? Duty of care is not just a “nice-to-have,” it’s an employer’s obligation. Failure to live up to the duty of care could be due to gaps in leadership, like not having clear ownership, not enough resources to invest in safety measures and a lack of escalation protocols.
Even when execution is delegated, CEOs are the ones who should hold ultimate accountability, meaning they can delegate execution but not responsibility. If something goes wrong, people will turn to leadership to find out what safeguards were in place.
2. Duty of care goes beyond the office
Employer duty of care and corporate duty of care for business travel is one in the same. Duty of care applies wherever work happens, whether that be at an airport, a hotel, or on-site when visiting a client. Of course, travel introduces new risks like health risks, security risks and disruptions that are outside company control.
Sending an employee on a trip means responsibility follows them door to door. Business travel makes it so the duty of care is a 24/7 responsibility and not just when employees are at the office. This means no matter where employees are, if their trip is disrupted, or there are any kind of local risks in place, the employer must respond and act accordingly to protect employees.
3. Visibility gaps create duty-of-care failures
Visibility isn’t a technical detail, it’s a prerequisite for safety. This is why duty of care risk oversight cannot happen. Travel visibility by leadership is fundamental to keep employees safe. This is why working with a travel management software like GetGoing that has traveler safety functions allowing you to track travelers so you know they’ve arrived safely to their destination is key. Because after all you can’t protect people that you can’t locate.
Find out how GetGoing can help provide visibility and help leaders live up to their duty of care.
Common visibility issues:
- Out-of-policy bookings (including to non-approved destinations)
- Consumer booking tools
- Disconnected travel and expense systems
CEOs should take action because delayed response increases potential problems and without the proper visibility, incidents may escalate.
4. Compliance and duty of care are must-haves
Duty of care compliance and executive duty of care are essential to protect employees. Leaders should take reasonable steps to protect employees and document any precautionary measures that employees should take regarding transport to and from the office and while traveling. Leaders should take part in risk assessments, policy enforcement and help document any incidents so they can be prevented in the future. Duty of care should be preventative, not reactive.
5. Use technology to support duty of care
CEO duty of care responsibilities include finding and working with the right tools that enable leadership to do its part to protect travelers.
For example, using a tool like GetGoing, leaders can get real-time visibility, monitor alerts and have centralized communication and approval streams where trips to potentially dangerous locations can be rejected.
Tools can help support duty of care, but leadership defines whether it works. There must be clear ownership, escalation paths and cross-team coordination. Duty of care succeeds when tools, policies, and leadership decisions align. Looking for a tool to support your company? Book a demo and learn what GetGoing can do for you.
What every CEO should ask themselves
Duty of care is an important part of responsible leadership. This is why it’s important to ask questions like:
- Do we know where our employees are when they travel?
- Have we defined who responds when something goes wrong?
- Do we have the right tools in order to support our duty of care?
By having a corporate travel strategy in place, which includes working with the right travel and expense management software, you can be sure to protect your employees, comply with CEO duty of care responsibilities and help make sure your company objectives are achieved while keeping employees safe and happy.