Safeguard Your Workforce this Easter with Enhanced Duty of Care as Global Travel Surges

With the Easter holidays approaching and travel anticipated to rise, particularly between Good Friday (29 March) and Easter Monday (1 April), International SOS encourages organisations to highlight the importance of health and safety among their workforce during this busy holiday period.

This year, global travel is rebounding at a rapid pace. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a 16.6% increase in global passenger demand for January this year, indicating a strong start to the year.1 Despite this positive trend, a potential rise in travel disruption is a growing concern. Prolonged and widespread labour shortages within the travel industry2, as well as the increasing frequency of extreme weather events worldwide3, could significantly impact flight schedules, leading to delays and cancellations. This concern is shared by industry leaders, with more than half of airline and airport executives reporting experiencing more disruption today than pre-COVID pandemic.4

Given this upcoming busy holiday travel season, there is a heightened need for preparedness. Proactive measures such as maintaining flexible travel plans, monitoring weather updates and establishing contingency plans can help mitigate and manage travel risks. Furthermore, travellers should also prioritise self-care to maintain their health and wellbeing during this holiday period.

Dr Kate O’Reilly, Regional Medical Director at International SOS comments “For many, the Easter travel rush can often lead to disruptions in routine activities such as exercise, sleep and healthy eating patterns. These disruptions may ultimately impact individual’s overall health and wellbeing. However, a proactive approach can significantly reduce the risk of illness while travelling.

“Organisations can play a key role in supporting the health and wellbeing of their travelling workforce during the Easter season. This includes providing employees with essential pre-travel health information, such as destination-specific health risks and guidance on required vaccinations. Employers should also ensure that their travelling workforce have access to readily available medical support should they encounter any health concerns.

Erika Weisbrod, Security Director at International SOS comments “Given the ongoing trend of labour disruptions and extreme weather events impacting travel globally, preparedness through comprehensive security awareness training is particularly important this Easter season. Unforeseen delays and unfamiliarity with destinations can heighten stress and potentially increase security risks for travellers.

“Those who are planning to travel during this Easter break should anticipate crowded transport hubs, such as airports and rail stations. Those that are travelling by road should also expect traffic congestion on major roadways around popular destinations and should consider travel during off-peak days and times. While specific recommendations may vary depending on the destination, organisations can play a crucial role in supporting a safe and secure travel experience for their workforce.”

International SOS recommends organisations take action to safeguard their travelling workforce during the Easter holiday period:

Implement a proactive Duty of Care policy: Ensure a comprehensive Duty of Care policy is in place to support employee wellbeing throughout their travels. This includes pre-travel risk assessments, access to travel security training and readily available medical and security assistance services.

Encourage pre-travel health information and guidance for healthcare needs: Empower employees with up-to-date health information for their travel destinations. This could include recommended vaccinations, advice on staying healthy while travelling and access to medical consultations if needed.

Promote travel security awareness training: Equip employees with the knowledge and skills to navigate travel challenges confidently. Training should cover risk identification, mitigation strategies and best practices for staying safe and secure in unfamiliar environments.

Provide real-time travel information and intelligence: Encourage travellers to monitor the local news, regulations and restrictions in their specific destination, as local laws may vary significantly. Provide travellers with travel monitoring solutions to track weather patterns, potential strikes and flight delays that could impact their itineraries.

Provide mental health support: Acknowledge the potential for increased stress due to travel delays and offer resources to help employees manage their wellbeing.