Business travel is an opportunity for career growth and enhanced collaboration, but for women it comes with an extra layer of risk. A recent survey reported that 69% of women feel less safe travelling for work than their male counterparts, with over half agreeing that their employers could do more to ensure their safety. Businesses must take meaningful steps to address the safety issues of their employees.

Unfortunately, negative experiences can happen anywhere. A friend of mine was once dining alone in Manchester when travelling for business, when two men became confrontational because she refused to join their table. After she made a quick exit, she noticed they were following her and proceeded until she got help from a passerby. Stories like this are far from uncommon.

If people don’t feel safe while traveling, it can affect their confidence and overall state-of-mind, making it harder to bring the best version of themselves to their destination, which means both they and their employers miss out on valuable opportunities like building relationships and exploring new markets.

It’s not enough to simply acknowledge these experiences. Organisations should be working to remove barriers to safe travel and create an environment where individuals feel they can share feedback, potentially even anonymously. A workforce that feels confident and secure is a workforce that thrives. So, what can employers do to guarantee that their employees’ concerns are not only heard, but acted on?

Choose hotels with strong safety protocols for reassurance

When choosing hotels for business travel, it’s important to prioritise security to ensure the comfort of all travellers. Opting for properties with robust safety features like 24-hour reception, lift key-card access and rooms without external or connecting doors can significantly improve employees’ sense of safety.

More and more hotels are adopting an ‘Ask for Angela’-type system to help remove travellers from uncomfortable situations. I encourage businesses to consider this as a criteria when sourcing hotels and to use conversations with suppliers to encourage properties to implement a process like this to improve traveller safety. With a protocol like this, instead of counting on the intervention of others, travellers can rest assured knowing their hotel can come to their assistance if needed.

Prioritise flexibility when planning the itinerary

Flexibility is crucial for a more comfortable and stress-free travel experience. For example, employers should give workers the option of selecting ground transport that they feel comfortable with. Safety should never be sacrificed for the sake of cost, convenience or assumptions on preference. Employers can also recommend that travellers select flights that do not arrive late at night, as data shows women feel more unsafe travelling in the dark compared to male counterparts.

Equip employees with the right resources

Comprehensive country-specific guides covering local dress codes, cultural norms and safety tips can help women confidently navigate unfamiliar environments. Ensuring they have access to key emergency contacts and a clear understanding of who to reach out to in urgent situations are also essential for peace of mind.

Additionally, subsidising overseas phone plans ensures they can maintain communication with family and colleagues, showing them their employer cares about their wellbeing. Beyond that, it also ensures the traveller can remain connected to the business and be able access different apps they may need throughout their trip, like taxi bookings, security providers, TMC apps, airline and hotel apps, without creating excess roaming data charges.

Welcome clear and confidential feedback

With so many different policy options, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The most valuable first step is to go straight to your employees. Creating a forum where women can openly share their concerns or personal experiences can help employers better understand the unique risks and challenges they face during their travels.

Accessibility and anonymity are essential for drawing out the insights that will be most helpful for knowing what aspects to prioritise. This also opens the opportunity to make meaningful changes to your programme and demonstrate that feedback is taken seriously, for example removing a hotel from a preferred hotel programme following concerning traveller feedback. By prioritising feedback and acting on it in a timely and meaningful way, organisations can promote a safer, more empowering environment for women business travellers and create a culture where employees feel heard and valued.

Looking ahead

Fostering a secure environment for business travellers, especially for women, is not just a matter of policy – it’s a vital step toward building a thriving workforce. All travellers should feel safe and secure while away on business, and employers have a responsibility to address the unique risks that women business travellers face.

In doing so, companies not only support their employees, but also contribute to a brighter future where business travel continues to be a signal of career growth and opportunity for employees.

amexglobalbusinesstravel.com