Don’t get caught out!

No, I’m not talking about having an extra-marital affair, I’m talking about checking your company insurance policy to see what it covers.

As this report by the BBC on a salacious case in France shows, you could be liable for a lot more than you thought.

The story is that a company was found liable after its employee died from a heart attack as a result of having sex with someone. The employer described its employee’s liaison as ‘an extramarital relationship with a perfect stranger’.

What people get up to in their own time is rarely an employer’s business, but the French court ruled that this wasn’t the worker’s own time, as he was on a business trip. This was work time.

While this case may have had a different outcome in a UK court (the French are famously tolerant of extra-marital dalliances), it shows that it’s worth consulting the fine print of your company’s business travel insurance policy.

And while you’re at it, travel manager's should update their company travel policy. Remember all staff need to know what they’re covered for, and what they’re not, and who to contact in an emergency. You have a duty of care for your employees while they’re on business trips, but how far that goes needs to be explained and understood by both employer and employees.

It’s also worth updating staff on all acceptable behaviours around the world. Being caught doing anything untoward in many countries can have serious consequences for not just individuals, but the companies they work for.

Connect with me on LinkedIn here and get in touch if you need assistance hiring an experienced Travel Manager to take care of these matters for your business.