If you’re going away on an important business trip, you’re probably already nervous for everything to go well. The last thing you want to think about is anything going wrong while getting there. But the fact is that, like any travel away, there are present risks. For a business trip, these risks aren’t necessarily the same as with a family holiday, so the methods of addressing them is slightly different.
An employer has a duty of care for their workers, regardless of where they are located during working hours. It’s important then to consider business travel insurance cover before heading overseas for business. Along with work accident claims experts, True Solicitors, we guide you through the various aspects of business travel insurance.
Isn’t employer’s liability insurance enough?
Employer’s liability insurance covers staff for injury or illness at work, be it on or off site. But, as Bluefin Professions notes, this isn’t enough to cover everything that could happen when abroad.
Consider for instance, that your employer’s liability insurance doesn’t cover for cancelled flights. It doesn’t cover all medical costs, nor does it provide any support with repatriation costs. If nothing else, flights and travel bookings get delayed or cancelled quite frequently – it’s worth getting business travel insurance just for that!
Doesn’t EHIC cover an employee travelling to Europe?
An EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) is absolutely advised for travelling within Europe, but it isn’t a replacement for proper business travel insurance cover.
Keep in mind that an EHIC card has limitations. As stated on the NHS website, an EHIC will cover:
- The right to access state-provided healthcare during the visit. This is often free, or at least at a reduced cost.
- Routine medical care for people with pre-existing conditions that need monitoring.
- Treatment of a chronic or pre-existing medical condition should it be needed during the visit.
- The provision of oxygen and kidney dialysis, but these must be pre-booked before the trip. If a private provider is booked, however, this isn’t covered.
An EHIC will not cover the following, however:
- Private medical healthcare.
- Private medical costs such as mountain rescue at ski resorts.
- Medical expenses if travelling abroad specifically for treatment.
- Some parts of the EEA (European Economic Area).
- Being flown back to the UK.
- Treatment on cruises.
- Lost or stolen property.
Also, much like the issue of employer’s liability insurance, an EHIC doesn’t cover more travel-related issues, like cancelled flights.
Can’t claims expenses just be claimed back through the credit card company?
The company’s credit card insurance might cover some areas, but it won’t cover all costs. Corporate Traveller points out that credit card insurance is often quite basic, with limits surrounding the claim amounts and how long the trip is.
Keep in mind that, while Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act means credit cards have to provide cover on purchases higher than £100 and less than £30,000, this isn’t all-encompassing. As MoneySupermarket points out, this cover only applies if the payment was a direct transaction between you and the supplier. If this chain is broken at any point, such as by a third party, then the purchase may not be covered. Such third parties include travel agents or a third-party payment processor.
Is business travel insurance still needed if the employee has personal travel insurance?
In the case of the employee having their own travel insurance, it is still worth considering business travel insurance. For example, business travel insurance can come with the following:
- If an employee is not able to attend a meeting or conference, the business travel insurance can cover for another colleague to be flown out as a replacement attendee.
- Cover for business equipment, such as laptops.
- Cover for business money. If large amounts of the company’s money needs to be taken on the trip, business insurance cover can cover for it being lost or stolen.
Business travel insurance also covers business-specific elements as well as medical cover and cancellations. Be sure to check the different policy details between different insurance provider.
If travelling abroad is a frequent matter within your business, business travel insurance is certainly something worth looking into.
Sources:
https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/insurance/faq/what-does-employers-liability-insurance-cover/
https://www.bluefinprofessions.co.uk/home/blog/2017/business-travel-are-your-employees-covered-while-they-are-working-abroad/#.WzYeCtJKiUk
https://www.pmihealthgroup.co.uk/business/advice-centre1/advice-and-top-tips/sending-staff-abroad-10-things-to-know-before-they-go/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/financial-services/insurance/travel-insurance-online/business-travel-insurance-guide/
https://www.corptraveller.co.uk/resources/blog/duty-care-business-travel
https://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/travel/how-to-disaster-proof-your-business-trip.html
https://www.myadventuresacrosstheworld.com/7-tips-for-business-travel/
https://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx
https://www.moneysupermarket.com/credit-cards/guide-to-credit-card-protection/
http://www.bytestart.co.uk/business-insurance-must-have.html