If you have dedicated security providers, follow their intelligence to identify, analyze and evaluate potential risks and apply mitigation measures. Considerations include the following:
- Establish necessary pre-trip authorizations or restrictions if needed.
- Review communication protocols with travelers to those locations.
- Review with insurance providers if any specific limitations apply to the countries where employees are planning to travel.
- Ensure travelers are receiving the latest information before and during the trip.
- Enforce policies to book travel only through authorized channels so that the company can monitor travelers’ locations and current location risk.
- Make employees fully aware of their security supplier contact information in the event they require medical or security assistance or evacuation during business travel. Promote this information through various communication platforms.
- Make sure travelers have phone roaming activated.
- Recommend travelers keep cell phones and electronics fully charged and be prepared for a communication blackout.
- Ensure travelers are fully aware of their embassy contact information to use in case of emergency.
- Check in regularly with travelers.
How BCD is supporting clients with significant presence in Ukraine and neighboring countries
For those clients with a significant presence in Ukraine and neighboring countries, BCD Travel has been working closely with them and their specialized security providers in recent weeks to advise on and support individual and larger-scale evacuation discussions.
Since hostilities between Ukraine and Russia began to escalate, BCD has provided information to clients to help them make smart travel and duty of care decisions. These information initiatives include:
- Reports on PNRs for Ukraine and Russia – circulated to program managers and operations leaders
- Over 50 alert emails about developments that affect travel (e.g., embassy closures, suspended and cancelled flights, and border closings)
- BCD Alert – via our mobile app, clients can monitor global risks and incidents against traveler bookings, receive critical alerts for quick action, get a summary view of impacted travelers and have two-way communication via text, email or voice
Need help? BCD clients can contact their program managers. If you’re not a client or are unsure what to do, contact us.
