Half of Employees Would Say ‘No Thanks’ to Risky Assignment

Perhaps it’s not surprising, given the steady drumbeat of news about Somali pirates, endless and ever-growing tensions in the Middle East and even potential upheavals in the Euro zone: A new survey of 500 employed individuals across the United States finds that nearly half of them would refuse to go on a business trip to a location they consider dangerous unless their employer provided them with access to emergency medical services. Twenty-three percent said they would refuse to go on the business trip; 21 percent said they would go, but refuse to go on the next trip; while 14 percent said they would look for a new job upon returning.

The Chubb Travel Risk Survey also revealed that 61 percent said they’d be concerned  about how to locate a qualified doctor in the event of an emergency while overseas, while 55 percent would not know whom to contact if they lost their passport or other forms of identification.

Despite being acutely aware of the risks they’d face, however, the respondents were oddly complacent about the basic steps necessary for minimizing potential risks: Only 35 percent said they would reserach the hazards related to their destination before the trip and more than 60 percent said they don’t carry copies of their prescriptions when they travel. Surprisingly, nearly 35 percent said they don’t carry copies of identification when traveling (which mode of travel do these people utilize, I wonder?) and 35 percent don’t carry copies of emergency contact information. Just 57 percent carry copies of their travel itineraries.

Chubb, of course, is looking to sell accident and health insurance products to employers, so it’s not hard to discern why they commissioned this survey (it was conducted for Chubb by Opinion Research Corp.) Even so, the fact that fairly large percentages of employed Americans appear to be so lax in their travel preparations should serve as a reminder for HR to ensure employees are properly prepared for their next business trip, whether it’s to Columbus or Cairo.

Share on Facebook