Duty of Care

An employer's obligation to ensure the safety and support of employees on business trips. It covers everything from assessing destination risk before a trip to providing emergency assistance if something goes wrong while travelling. Duty of care is both a legal and ethical responsibility, and increasingly a factor companies weigh alongside cost when designing their travel programme.

In practice, duty of care covers the entire trip. Before travel, it includes assessing risks at the destination, providing travellers with relevant information, checking visa and health requirements and ensuring that bookings are made with reliable suppliers. During the trip, it means knowing where employees are, keeping them informed about disruptions and being able to reach them quickly. After an incident, it involves providing medical, security or logistical assistance and bringing the traveller home safely if needed.

The scope of duty of care has expanded in recent years. Beyond physical safety, companies increasingly consider mental wellbeing, fatigue from long journeys, the needs of travellers with disabilities and the specific risks faced by certain groups of employees in some destinations. International guidance such as ISO 31030 has also given companies a clearer framework for organising their approach. Travel insurance is an important part of the picture, but it does not replace the company's responsibility to prevent harm and respond effectively.

Tumodo helps companies fulfil their duty of care by keeping every trip visible and every traveller supported. All bookings are gathered in one system, so the company always knows who is travelling where and when, and travel coordinators can see all upcoming trips in a travel calendar. Travellers receive real-time notifications about delays and cancellations, and Tumodo's 24/7 support team, working under a 30-minute SLA, helps adjust routes and arrange services whenever plans change.