INSIGHTS
The duty of care mistakes most companies make in a crisis
When the Middle East crisis broke earlier this year, most corporate travel management programs were tested in ways nobody anticipated.
It's no surprise that many feel disruption is now part of the business travel routine. Recent global traveller research by Zurich Insurance, shows that 43% of travellers feel less safe, 60% would quit if they believed their safety wasn’t a priority, and 80% have experienced at least one disruption while travelling for work in the past year.
Political instability, health risks, natural disasters. The range of threats facing global travel programs has never been broader, and the margin for error has never been smaller. At FCM, we've compiled this checklist of the most common duty of care mistakes and the lessons learned, so you can audit your own corporate travel management program.
Key summary
- Insurance policies may no longer cover war, civil unrest, or airspace closures.
- Outdated travel policies create confusion and delays when disruption hits
- Missing or incomplete traveller data makes crisis response slower and less effective
- Ground transport remains a major blind spot in most corporate travel programs
- Travellers booking outside your system during crises creates risk and eliminates visibility
1. You haven't read the fine print on your travel insurance – recently
War exclusions, civil unrest clauses, airspace closures, and government travel advisory exclusions have all tightened. The policy that covered your people last year may not cover them today. Most travel managers won't find out until a claim is declined. If your government issues a "do not travel" warning for a destination experiencing political instability and your traveller goes anyway, you may have no cover at all.
A risk assessment matrix is one of the most effective tools available for evaluating and prioritising travel risks. It helps organisations visualise which risks require urgent attention.
2. Your travel policy is living in a pre-February world
If your travel policy crisis management protocols don't address rerouting authority - who has sign-off when the airspace picture changes mid-booking - it's out of date. A well-defined travel risk management plan is the difference between swift adaptation and prolonged business travel disruption. It should document worst-case scenarios, outline clear procedures, and specify who is authorised to approve a last-minute premium cabin upgrade when economy is sold out, or who decides to cancel travel plans when fares breach policy thresholds.
Successful crisis response begins before the crisis hits. That means developing a formal Crisis Management Plan. Cross-functional representation is important here too. Your crisis team should include leaders from HR, legal, IT, communications, operations, and your travel management company (TMC) to avoid confusion under time constraints.
3. Your traveller profiles are running on last year's information
Missing emergency contact numbers, time-zone constraints, these are the details nobody thinks about… until they need them at 2am on a Saturday.
During emergencies, travel managers must have the tools to consistently locate employees as they travel and connect with them quickly. Establishing reliable, actionable lines of communication determines the tone and outcome of your entire crisis response.
“Many of my colleagues have expressed their sincere gratitude on the empathy, calmness, and professionalism of your FCM consultants. Emotional support, endless communication, and many other stories. Your commitment to duty of care has made all the difference during this time. Thank you.”
- Client travelling through Dubai during Middle East crisis
4. You have no visibility of what happens between the flight and the hotel
Here's the number that should stop you mid-scroll: 67% of corporate ground transport activity is invisible to travel managers. That's a blind spot in most global travel programs, and it raises questions around spend control, policy compliance, and traveller safety.
Your traveller is most vulnerable in the gaps. The unvetted taxi, the ride-share booked on a personal card, the transfer arranged through a local app. Duty of care doesn't stop at the airport gate. If your corporate travel platform has no visibility over ground transport, no amount of travel technology elsewhere in your program will compensate for it.
5. Your travellers are self-booking during disruption
When flights are cancelled and support lines are busy, travellers tend to sort it out themselves. They book a hotel, grab a transfer through a local app, and put it all on a personal card. They feel like they are doing the right thing, but it turns into no audit trail, pre safety checks, and visibility for the travel manager trying to execute enterprise travel disruption management.
Effective crisis communication requires multi-channel strategies to reach all stakeholders quickly. Pre-approved templates, designated spokespeople, and messaging guides that allow teams to respond. But if travellers are operating outside your system entirely, none of that infrastructure can reach them.
“Thank you for your amazing help to communicate changes and get me (and I'm sure you plenty of others home). Like all of us, FCM were faced with very volatile and uncharted territory this week and the FCM team rose to the occasion.”
- Client on their way home after being rerouted out of Dubai during Middle East crisis
6. You don't have a rapid re-accommodation protocol
If an airport closes mid-trip, how quickly can your TMC move? Clear trigger points are essential. Without them, your crisis protocol won't activate until it's already too late for an effective emergency response.
The companies that navigated recent disruptions best had pre-agreed escalation paths, pre-authorised spend thresholds, and a TMC with 24/7 emergency support. Having a crisis travel technology solution capable of real-time monitoring is no longer optional.
Your self-audit
Run through the below before you close your laptop to check your business continuity and crisis response strategies are where they need to be:
Frequently asked questions
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What should be included in a corporate travel crisis management plan?
A comprehensive crisis management plan should include clear escalation paths, pre-authorised spend thresholds, designated decision-makers, emergency contact protocols, communication templates, and cross-functional team representation.
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How often should travel insurance policies be reviewed?
Travel insurance policies should be reviewed at least annually, and immediately following major geopolitical events or changes in government travel advisories.
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What information should be included in traveller profiles?
Complete traveller profiles should include passport details, visa information, emergency contact numbers (with time zones), medical information, frequent flyer numbers, dietary requirements, and any special assistance needs.
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How can companies improve ground transport visibility?
Work with your TMC to integrate ground transport bookings into your corporate travel platform. This ensures all movement between airports and hotels is tracked, vetted, and visible to travel managers during both routine and crisis situations.