Big Idea: Did Your Travel Plans Disappoint the Remote Workers? - BCD Travel

What is Today’s Work Cultureand What Does it Mean forBusiness Travel? The changing world of work The world of work has been transformed by flexible workarrangements.Accelerated by global events and evolvingexpectations, traditional office setups shifted swiftly to remote,hybrid, and work-from-anywhere arrangements. The Big IdeaSessions at the GBTA Europe and APAC conferencesexamined some implications of flexible work models forbusiness travel. Christian Dahl, Executive Vice President ofPeople & Culture at BCD Travel, and Rosemary Maloney, VicePresident for the GBTA Board of Directors and Senior Directorof Corporate Travel at Freeman Company, led the sessions.Chris Elmitt, CEO of Livve, moderated. Our Sponsor The discussions explored:•How do you manage travel for a dispersed workforce? •How will remote work reshape recruitment, manager-employeedynamics, and business relationships?•What changes are needed in duty of care to address new risks? Remote work: It’s a standard, not a trend. Most Big Idea session participants responded favorably to the opportunities that remotework models present. Generally, they felt remote work models would soon be firmlyensconced as a standard and not a trend. Most agreed travel managers had a criticalrole to play in supporting the workplace of the future. Dissent emerged in discussionsaround manager-employee dynamics, company culture and sales effectiveness. “The last few years have reshaped how we think about work. BCD leanedinto the change a lot faster than much of the industry so that we could makesure our people keep thriving regardless of where they worked. We’ve beena leader in remote work for some time and we’re doing really well.Adaptingis strengthening our cultureas a TMC, and it’s driving the innovation andperformance that benefit our people and our clients.” –Christian Dahl, EVP of People & Culture, BCD Travel Four workforce models The modern workforce is represented by a mix of models – with remote roles and hybridwork on the rise. Advanced collaboration and communication tools make these modelsviable – and benefits exist for companies and employees. Employees experiencegreater productivity from fewer distractions, better work-life balance, and decreasedpersonal risk from commuting. Employers benefit from reduced overhead, lower carbonfootprints, increased employee satisfaction and less turnover and attrition. What the workforcelooks like Only 9% of pollees work onsiteor are embedded with a client. Source: Poll results of 361 participants,GBTA Europe Conference 2024, The BigIdea, Nov. 5, 2024 Remote work and the role of the travel manager Modern travel managers aren’t just experts in travel logistics – they manage diverseresponsibilities, and their scope will only keep growing. Travel managers should expectto support flexible workplace strategies by advising on collaborative meeting options,group travel, and travel policies that accommodate blended work and leisure trips. Newticket types and categories might emerge as employees mix private and professionaljourneys. “The role of the travel manager is constantly changing with the evolvingworkplace, from tickets handwritten by on-site agents to AI driven itineraries:thesehybrid and remote environments give us the opportunity tocreate greater solutionsfor teams to meet in person.” – Rosemary Maloney, VP for GBTA Board of Directors and Sr. Director ofCorporate Travel at Freeman Company The role of the travelmanager in supportingthe workplace of thefuture Growing responsibility for travelmanagers Source: Poll results from 172 votes, GBTAEurope Conference 2024, The Big Idea,Nov. 5, 2024 Creating meaningful experiencesfor corporate travelers not only enhances their work at a company,but helps to build organizational culture. – Rosemary Maloney Duty of care in remote work models The ISO 31030 Travel Risk Management guidelines define duty of care as "the moralresponsibility or legal requirement of an organization to protect the traveler fromhazards and threats." These guidelines emphasize the critical role organizations play insafeguarding the health, safety, and well-being of their employees – no matter wherethey work or travel. “The last few years have changed the perspective on remote working andmobility; work from home has become work from anywhere. This can attractand retain talent, but it also provides additional challenges for organizations.That is whyforward-thinking organizations are moving from travel riskmanagement into people risk management.” – Jorge Mesa, GBTA Europe Advisory Board member and Senior Director ofTravel Risk Management at BCD Travel. The shift to people risk management People risk management (PRM) involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating risksrelated to an organization's workforce. Key areas include employee behavior, healthand safety, talent management, compliance with laws, workplace culture, cybersecurity,and adaptability to change. It helps ensure business con