Employers often require their employees to do some amount of travel. In a dreaded scenario, the employee would suffer a loss, an injury, or even death while traveling within the U.S. or abroad. Therefore, employers need to protect themselves with the right liability coverage, as well provide their Directors and Officers with the necessary coverages to curb their risks.
Rental vehicles.
Getting from point A to point B all but requires employees to rent vehicles when they arrive at their destination. Employers can be held liable for damages incurred while the employee is operating a rental vehicle, unless the employee uses his or her own credit card for the purchase. For this reason, business auto coverage is a necessity.
Be selective about which employees can rent vehicles. Qualify drivers traveling on company business in the same way you would if they were operating a company-owned vehicle. Review your fleet safety manual with employees. Get specific about what constitutes “responsible driving.” Check the motor vehicle records for all potential drivers. Restrict driving privileges for those with poor driving records and put this in writing. Although restricting an employee in this way may not prevent him or her from renting a vehicle, it will make it difficult for anyone to impute liability to the business owner should the person be involved in an accident, states Rental Management Mag.
Research and education.
Apart from the obvious exposures that traveling and car rentals possess, the location can have a lot to do with the risks. Infectious diseases, terrorism, military actions, and more can bring about risks that the employee is not familiar with. Do research on the location, especially in a foreign country, and prepare and educate employees to remain safe.
Creating a response plan.
Enact a plan to respond to a various high-risk events that might take place. Any type of delay in response or communication missteps on the part of an employer can quickly spiral out of control for a staff member in an emergency situation. Crisis preparedness is necessary to help keep your key stakeholders aware of their roles and how to react during a crisis.
Behavior.
Directors and officers of the company should behave appropriately. Drinking on the job, reckless behavior and unprofessionalism could cost the company money, deals, and even reputational damage.
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