Less than 10% of travel managers fully understand the implications of the latest Corporate Manslaughter Bill, according to research by the Institute of Travel Management (ITM).
The ITM says the research shows that British companies are exposing themselves to significant risk.
As a result, it is launching a helpline to provide its members with free legal advice on key issues such as the Corporate Manslaughter & Homicide Act.
ITM’s Executive Director Paul Tilstone said: “It should be a matter of grave concern in Britain’s boardrooms that less than a third of organisations have a process for risk assessment in place in all but areas of the world designated high risk.
“Fortunately, a further third plan to introduce risk assessments for all overseas trips over the next 12 months. The forthcoming launch of our legal helpline will help by providing vital knowledge to our members who are responsible for their companies’ travel policies.”
The research, conducted amongst ITM Research’s panel of 160 travel managers and procurement heads, including over 30% of the FTSE Top 100 companies.
It also revealed that corporate attention to date has been more focused on mitigating the risk to the traveller than on the risk to the company.
“Over 40% of companies now recommend that travellers are driven home or to the office after a long haul flight,” said Tilstone.
“However, 79% of companies do not require employees to sign that that they have read and understand the company’s travel policy, thereby creating grounds for a potential legal challenge should something go wrong.”
Colin Goldney, MD of Argate Consulting, ITM’s research partner, believes non-compliance is the major stumbling block to effectively addressing the problem.
“Non-compliance is both cause and effect of not having full risk assessment procedures in place,” he explained.
“20% of companies do nothing to address non-compliance with their travel policies. If an organisation tacitly allows employees to disappear under their corporate radar, then it is failing in its duty to employees and stakeholders alike.”
By Bev Fearis
