Businesses are woefully underprepared when it comes to protecting their employees using shared economy services (such as Airbnb and Uber) overseas. That’s according to a medical and travel security company. International SOS surveyed business travellers and travel managers and found a lack of clear guidance from organisations on how, when and if the services are appropriate and safe to be used while abroad. The survey found that:
· Two in five respondents use services like Uber and Airbnb when travelling abroad for business;
· 27 per cent of people have already used shared transport services such as Uber for international business travel, and almost half of respondents anticipate their use will grow; and
· A further 22pc anticipate increasing their use of shared lodging services such as Airbnb
Despite the frequent and expected increase in use of shared economy services, 75pc of organisations do not have clear policies or procedures for staff using these services for business-related travel. More than half of the respondents didn’t know whether their organisation had considered the legality of sharing services in countries they are visiting.
“Share Economy for Business Travel” explores the Duty of Care obligations businesses face in adequately protecting their employees when using sharing economy services, and the implications of not fulfilling this responsibility. The law firm Herbert Smith Freehills UK, a contributor to the report, explain that the law requires organisations to be proactive and inquiring about the potential risks that arise from people using shared economy services as part of their work. They say organisations should consider:
· Whether the service is legal in the destination country (and precise jurisdiction)
· Whether the service presents a higher, or comparable risk level to a traditional operator
· The level of risk to travellers (and their vulnerability), based on their personal risk profile
While many laws governing the duty of care owed by organisations to their workers will not expressly deal with the issues arising in relation to accommodation, transportation and the use of share economy services, the underlying principles still apply, says the law firm.
The report finds there is no one-size-fits-all approach to travel risk management, and a company’s travel policies need to relate not only to the specific locations and risk environments to which an organisation sends its business travelers, but to the individual travelers themselves.
International SOS says businesses should consider the following factors when determining whether the use of shared economy services is appropriate when their employees are abroad:
· Security standards – are the security standards appropriate to the risks in the destination?
· Emergency response – does the property have alternative power or telecommunication systems?
· Support services – do you have access to multilingual staff or medical assistance?
· Vetting of staff – are there formal background checks for the driver and / or host?
· Reputation – is the provider considered reputable in the region?
On shared economy services the report recommends:
· Accommodation services – managers should treat share economy accommodation providers as one of a range of options and evaluate suitability on the same basis as all other options, recognizing the drawbacks and benefits of each. The level of risk to individual travellers based on their personal risk profile and itinerary should be prioritized. For travel to medium, high and extreme travel risk locations, it is advisable to call an assistance provider.
· Transport services – In general, the use of ride sharing services from an established vendor is a reliable and relatively safe mode of transport in low risk destinations, but International SOS advise against their use in high or extreme risk destinations. In medium or high risk locations, local nationals may be less vulnerable to the risks. Some organisations could reflect that in their polices, by, for example transferring to the individual employee the ownership of the decision to use in their own country.
The report is available for download.
