Tag: duty of care

Read more about a Duty of Care in the business travel sector.

Why You Need a Travel Management Company (NOW!)

Posted on by Holly Atkins

Travel restrictions are starting to lift and your staff have important meetings they need to travel for. You don’t want to miss a mandatory quarantine requirement and be turned around at the airport if your travel dates don’t add up. This wastes a lot of time, money and resources. How do you ensure your staff are safe while travelling, and where are you getting the up-to-date information required?

That’s where Travel Management Companies (TMC’s) come in. Not only do TMC’s have access to and knowledge of the most recent travel restrictions, we work hard to look for cost saving measures to improve our clients ability to survive over the short and long term.

The Boston Globe writes that “Travel advisors will be more important than ever.” in a recent article. Why? Because we’re on your side to get you home and re-book your travel, or fight for refunds and future credits when necessary. We’re up to date on travel restrictions, and do everything in our power to ensure you’ve got the information you need so your staff can travel safely.

TMC’s have fought hard for refunds and travel credits since the start of COVID-19. We work tirelessly to save our clients money because we know how important this is to them. TMC’s fight for you and endure the long hold times with the airlines as we know this matters to you.

Every day there are new changes to airline procedures and policies, and it’s a TMC’s job to incorporate these up-to-the-minute developments into the travel quoting and booking process. We strive to protect your employees as they commence travel, so there’s less stress and worry for all involved. Safety is key in these times and we aim to stay informed to reduce risk and increase your time to focus on more important things.

So what are the biggest benefits of using a Travel Management Company?

  • Round the clock, 24/7 support for all travellers in case of an emergency or last minute travel.
  • Saves your company long hold times with Airlines. We fight for you to get refunds and travel credits.
  • Flight changes take us just minutes instead of hours as we have direct access to the booking system.
  • Educate and inform your clients on the latest travel restrictions and updates.

Here at Worldgo Travel Management, we have over 90 years of collective experience, and we offer complete transparency with personal service. On top of this, we have industry-leading technology to provide a faster and more efficient booking process. Our innovative technology gives us the ability to save your company money and help out quickly in a crisis. We know each business has different travel needs, and we will sit down with you to hash out the details to implement the best travel plan for your company and staff. Give us a call to see how we can help your company survive long term.

We’re here for you.

Read our article on what to look for in a travel management company, and how to choose the right one for your business – click here.

Reach out to a Worldgo Specialist at 1-888-236-1566 or by email at [email protected]

 

Written By: Holly Atkins
July 19th, 2020

Holly Atkins has been working in tourism for many years as a travel manager, tour guide and on the front desk in a couple of hotels. An Australian Canadian citizen that now permanently resides in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Holly can’t think of a better place to call home with the vast mountains and her oceanfront dwelling. Touring on motorcycles for the past 14 years has allowed her to see places that few discover, and get off the beaten path to experience all that the open roads have to offer. Visiting a vast amount of the Oceania region, trekking around Europe, discovering BC and most recently travelling to Jordan and Egypt, she’s always looking forward to the next adventure!

 

Duty of Care and its Impact on Employers

Posted on by Eric Sakawsky

Duty of Care – Yesterday

In 1928, Ms. May Donaghue of Glasgow, Scotland drank what has become known in Western Law as ‘The snail in the bottle case’ and more succinctly it set the legal precedent for Duty of Care. The case states that Ms. Donaghue was given a bottle of ginger beer from a friend, and proceeded to consume the contents only to discover it contained the remains of a decomposed snail. The bottle was tinted dark, and she didn’t notice the foreign object until substantially through the bottle. She later fell ill and contracted gastroenteritis. Ms. Donaghue lodged a writ in the Scotland’s highest courts seeking £500 in damages against Mr. David Stevenson, the producer of the ginger beer.

Because she had not purchased the bottle herself, there was no breach of contract. However, her lawyers claimed Stevenson to be negligent of breaching a duty of care, an area largely untested in Western Law. In 1932, after a lengthy court battle, it was established that Mr. Stevenson to be responsible for the well-being of individuals who consume his products, given that they could not be inspected.

The outcomes of this precedent setting case were three-part.

Negligence 

A plaintiff can take civil action against a respondent if the respondent’s negligence causes the plaintiff injury or loss of property.

Duty of care 

Secondly, the case established that manufacturers have a duty of care to the end consumers or users of their products. According to Lord Atkin’s ratio decendi, “a manufacturer of products, which he sells… to reach the ultimate consumer in the form in which they left him… owes a duty to the consumer to take reasonable care”. This precedent has evolved and now forms the basis of laws that protect consumers from contaminated or faulty goods.

Neighbour principle

In Donoghue’s case she had not purchased the ginger beer but had received it as a gift; she was a ‘neighbour’ rather than a party to the contract. Atkin stated: “You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour.

Duty of Care – Today

We’ve come along way since 1932, and the Duty of Care principle has evolved from ‘goods’ to ‘goods and services which could reasonably be foreseen to cause people harm’. It extends to all of us that provides an exchange of goods and services and extends not just to clients, but to employees. This means that under Canada’s Criminal Code employers must take reasonable steps to protect workers, whether they are in Canada or working abroad.

Across the pond a recent Galaxy Research survey in Australia had startling findings, including that:

• 93% of business leaders are comfortable they can properly manage their own company’s liabilities

• Only 30% of businesses actually had a plan of action directly addressing traveling employees

• Only 50% actively assess and manage employee risk on a regular basis

• 54% of employees said their employer does not provide information and communication specific to unexpected eventualities whilst traveling for business

A few steps can make all the difference to your Duty of Care

1. Ensure your organization has both the understanding and current technology to know the location of your employees while they are traveling on your behalf

2. Plan for an incident by developing a corporate policy on travel and a response plan in the event of an incident that includes a family support plan

3. Educate your employees about potential risks and challenges to personal safety and security before they leave

4. Be able to communicate with your employees at all times, and provide assistance during an emergency

The costs associated with meeting the duty of care principle include working with credible corporate travel service providers in developing a risk management plan, training your employees and providing necessary insurance.

The costs of not meeting the duty of care principle far outweigh today’s gamble, especially for a small to a mid-sized company where the impacts are far more profound.

If you are concerned about your Duty of Care as it relates to employee travel, please contact us today.