Workplace Duty of Loyalty: An Overview and the Responsibilities Placed Upon Employees
In the realm of corporate travel, it's crucial for employees to acknowledge and sign off on a company's stance on duty of loyalty, as outlined in the travel policy. This responsibility is not just a moral obligation, but a legal one too, often referred to as "Duty of Care".
Duty of Care is a term used in the HR industry, signifying an employer's legal and moral obligation to mitigate risks for their travelling employees. This could involve providing pre-travel information, having crisis response protocols, and educating employees on how to respond to a crisis.
However, the concept of duty of loyalty can be vague and subjective, requiring clear definition in a company's travel policy. Duty of loyalty infers that employees should refrain from behaving in a manner on a work-related trip that would be contrary to their employer's best interests. It involves actively participating in trip planning, following the emergency procedures outlined in the company's policies, and using general common sense in avoiding unnecessary risks while travelling on behalf of their employers.
Unfortunately, a recent survey indicates that not all business travelers are adhering to these principles. The survey revealed that 27% of business travelers admit to binge drinking while on business trips, and more than one in ten (11%) have "picked up" a stranger at a bar while on a work-sponsored trip. Furthermore, eight percent of business travelers have lied to their employers about their activities while on a work-related trip, and four percent have been detained by law enforcement.
These statistics highlight the need for employers to develop and enforce appropriate travel risk management guidelines. Aligning a company's policies on duty of loyalty with its travel risk management strategies is crucial for mutual accountability, respect, and protection.
It's important to note that duty of care oversight can lead to legal woes for an organization if an incident occurs and it's determined that the employer did not take reasonable measures to protect their employees. A court would consider the measures taken by an employer leading up to an incident when determining if the employer's actions were reasonable in a duty of care case.
In an ideal scenario, employers and employees would work together to ensure a safe and productive business travel environment. Employees would willingly adhere to these guidelines and refrain from risky conduct while on a business trip, understanding the importance of their duty of loyalty to the company.
However, the information about companies noting that more than a quarter of their employees exhibit risky behaviours on business trips and that this happens more often than business leaders might suspect was not found in the provided search results. This underscores the need for continued education and vigilance in the area of duty of care and duty of loyalty in corporate travel.
