Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/169755
Expats Raising Awareness, Changing Behaviours The importance of this issue in the region is further underscored by the results of a recent benchmarking study conducted by International SOS, which analysed information gathered from 628 companies worldwide. The study found that 10 of the top 20 perceived high-risk locations are located in Asia, and employers in Asia have more assignees based in these high-risk locations. Importantly, the study also found that compared to the rest of the world, companies in Asia have a lower awareness of their duty of care responsibility to their employees. The return on investment to employers in keeping their workers safe and healthy is direct and indirect, ranging from reduction in healthcare costs to productivity gains. A cost-benefit analysis in occupational safety and health in companies conducted by the International Social Security Association found the return on investment for duty of care to be 2.2. In other words, for every dollar invested on protecting the health, safety and security of employees, companies may benefit from cost savings of up to 2.2 dollars. Moral responsibility aside, it makes good business sense for employers to meet their duty of care obligation. Effective mitigation of health, safety, and security risks can reduce costly interruptions to business activities, improve employee satisfaction, and productivity, and can also foster the development of new business development opportunities. To avoid litigation costs and ensure compliance with national legislation, employers must also attend to the importance of the implementation of occupational safety and health measures to be extended to employees who are working outside the home country of the company. To help you incorporate a duty of care plan into your organisation, here's a list of best practices you can follow: 1. Increase awareness. Duty of care is everyone's responsibility. 2. Include key stakeholders in the planning process. Various stakeholders within an organisation must work together, in planning and managing a crisis. 3. Expand policies and procedures. Companies should extend their policies and procedures to better equip employees when they are assigned overseas. 4. Conduct due diligence. Employers must perform proper safety and health checks and make them part of their standard operating procedures when appointing vendors, contractors and subcontractors. 5. Communicate, educate and train employees. Companies must implement practical measures to make sure employees know how to use the tolls provided to them to protect themselves. 6. Assess risks prior to every trip. It's useful to identify employees with health risks or other personal concerns which may impede the success of the overseas assignment. 7. Track travelling employees at all times. Knowledge of employees' whereabouts is critical in order to warn, protect and assist them in a crisis. 8. Implement an employee emergency response system. This is important for organisations to ascertain their employees' well being and streamline communications when emergency situations arise. 9. Enact additional management controls. Companies should put in place appropriate internal controls built into their travel approval process. 10. Ensure vendors are aligned. It is vital that vendors, contractors and sub-contractors are aligned with a company's duty of care goals. Dr. Philippe Guibert is regional medical director for South and South East Asia at International SOS. Alex McSporran is regional security manager for Asia Pacific travel security services in a joint venture between International SOS and Control Risks. Additional resources References To find out more about duty of care, please go to http://www.internationalsos.com/en/dutyofcare.aspx. Ernst & Young (2012). Driving Business Success: Global Mobility Effectiveness Survey 2012. To stay up to date on the current debate, or to join the discussion, please visit the duty of care blog http://www.dialoguesondutyofcare.com. International SOS (2011). Duty of Care and Travel Risk Management Global Benchmarking Study. International Social Security Association. (2012). Calculating the International Return on Prevention for Companies: Costs and Benefits of Investments in Occupational Safety and Health. SUMMER 2013 | www.hroglobal.com [41]