While we often discuss duty of care as a key part of business travel, duty of care should also be a broader part of your company culture. Whether your teams are on the road or in the office, you have a responsibility to ensure they’re safe.

It’s no secret that your talent is your company’s greatest asset, and more and more, employees are recognizing their value and demanding that companies meet certain needs in order to retain them. Duty of care falls in line with these demands and needs.

Duty of Care can be defined as “a legal obligation, requiring that an organization act towards their employees with watchfulness, attention, caution and prudence, in a manner that any reasonable person would do in similar circumstances.” This means that, in many instances, Duty of Care is the minimum that employers can provide to their talent, traveling or otherwise.

Not sure how to go about fusing your duty of care with your company culture? It goes beyond just offering a few incentives here and there. Here are eight steps you can take today.

1. Be Flexible

Forbes listed flexibility as one of the top 10 HR concerns for employees in 2023. While some executives hope to get “back to normal,” with an entire workforce working the same hours under the same roof; for many companies, this old version of “normal” just isn’t feasible anymore. Employees demand flexibility.

Giving your employees flexibility, from a Duty of Care standpoint, though, goes beyond offering flexible work schedules or hybrid work environments. You also need to be flexible with your travel policies so that employees feel as safe as possible while on the road.

In all areas of your company culture, invite conversation and make it known that you’re willing to be flexible to meet team members’ needs. If they feel as if their needs are taken care of, they’ll likely be more productive and allow you to see a greater ROI from your travel spend.

2. Recognize That Not All Needs Are the Same

As part of your diversity, equity and inclusion programs (DE&I), you likely already know that, in order to create a truly equitable working environment, different accommodations will likely need to be provided to different employees, based on individual needs. The same applies to your travel policy.

When it comes to travel, not all employees will have the same needs. Just like some employees may be back at the office, and others may stay at home full-time, so will some employees prefer certain Duty of Care measures over others. Look at the different groups that your travel policies impact, and keep in mind that flexibility will look different for each individual team member.

3. Keep Communication Open

And on that note, in order to truly be flexible and understand your team’s needs, make sure to develop an open line of communication between yourself and employees. There’s no other feasible way to truly understand what Duty of Care means to your team, what they think of your current company culture, and what Duty of Care needs they feel must be met sooner rather than later.

Does this mean that you, as an executive, need to be welcoming one-on-one emails and meetings from hundreds of employees?

No, but it does mean doing your due diligence to communicate with those employees; learning their concerns via managers, surveys and other methods; and making sure they feel their individual voices are heard.

4. Invest in Employee Care

One way to ensure your team members know you care about their needs? Put your money where your mouth is. Invest in employee care, well-being and duty of care.

This will look different for every company, but perhaps it means investment in Duty of Care technology and external resources that will better serve your business travelers. Perhaps it means increasing travel budgets so that travelers can enjoy safe, comfortable travel easier.

5. Provide Duty of Care Resources

Whether or not you invest in Duty of Care technology, it’s still a smart idea to provide duty of care-related resources to your team members. This means letting them know what Duty of Care resources are available to them, communicating whom they should go to with Duty of Care concerns, and providing any necessary training to ensure duty of care policies are followed by everyone within the organization.

6. Create a Clear Duty of Care Policy

Along these lines, provide a clear Duty of Care policy that outlines what care your organization provides and how the organization complies with any Duty of Care or other workplace legislation.

7. Work From the Top Down

Team members watch their managers, and managerial behavior often plays a large role in shaping company culture. When attempting to incorporate Duty of Care into your company culture, be sure managers at every level are doing their parts. If they’re not, your executive actions may not have the impact that you were hoping for.

8. Keep an Eye on the Industry

Lastly, as your company culture continues to evolve with changing business needs and industry standards, keep an eye on what the industry is demanding. Keep ahead of the curve by anticipating employee needs and filling them and by adhering to industry best practices. If you know that others in your field are providing Duty of Care to their employees that you might not be, it could signal a weakness that leaves you open to losing talent.

A smart executive knows their industry — and what employees demand from that industry — inside and out.

Duty of Care Doesn’t Need to Solely Rest on Your Shoulders

Duty of care is a very large, serious responsibility, but you don’t need to carry the burden of Duty of Care — and incorporating it into your company culture — all on your own. JTB Business Travel can help.

JTB Business Travel offers a wealth of Duty of Care to ensure your employees are kept safe while traveling, benefiting everyone in your organization, from travelers to executives to travel managers.