From a recent survey Amex GBT conducted, it’s clear that diversity, equity, and inclusion is a priority for many of our clients – 92% of respondents shared that their organization had DE&I goals for 2023.¹

Yet, it seems some clients haven’t yet integrated their DE&I strategies into the corporate travel program. One-third of travel managers surveyed would give their program a subpar rating for inclusivity. Furthermore, 66% said their policies do not currently address the needs of neurodiverse individuals.¹

Even more notable, according to research conducted by Accessio, 94% of travel managers didn’t know or significantly underestimated the number of travelers with accessibility requirements.

From a duty of care perspective, travel managers need to recognize and address the diverse backgrounds of their travelers. Individuals with specific risk profiles may encounter additional challenges when traveling to certain destinations. For instance, individuals in the LGBTQ+ community could face greater risks in the 66 countries where homosexuality is prohibited. A recent survey revealed that 82% of LGBTQ+ business travelers have changed their accommodations within the past 12 months due to safety concerns.

As organizations prioritize diversity & inclusion initiatives and implement more diverse hiring practices, it is critical that their travel policy syncs with their DE&I strategies, fostering a more equitable travel experience for employees of all backgrounds and ethnicities.

To help companies craft more inclusive travel guidelines that resonate with their diverse workforces, we spoke to Kayleigh Rogers about creating a travel policy that embraces the company’s DE&I values.

Q. Why is it crucial to integrate DE&I into a corporate travel policy?

DE&I has been of huge interest to clients for a while now, yet it’s interesting to see how few companies have incorporated their DE&I standards into their travel policies and programs.

Having had the privilege to review countless travel policies, I’ve noticed that many of them have the potential to cause confusion, prejudice, or bias – whether that be forcing the burden of proof on people or creating barriers that may conflict with the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts that are going on elsewhere in their business. More work needs to be done to create policies that make employees feel supported during their travels.

Q. What are some examples of how a policy could inadvertently create a bias?

You have to be careful about policies that put people out of pocket. Say a company requires a new hire to go on a business trip. They may not have a corporate card because A, they’re new; B, they’ve been declined because of poor credit, or C, they don’t know yet if they’ll meet the threshold for the card. So, they have to pay out of pocket before being reimbursed. That may create a barrier for people with financial challenges.

I also find there are a lot of policies with a “you can’t expense this” guideline when, in some instances, a traveler should be able to expense it. It can create an added layer of stress when an amenity the traveler really needs to facilitate their trip isn’t covered.

I’ve also seen policies that create additional work for employees by forcing them to sort through various policies and resources for information on what’s available or by asking them to evidence their eligibility to access support or amenities. This is on top of any mental health concerns they may already have around traveling.

Q. How does duty of care enter the equation?

Duty of care plays a huge role. Research shows that 74% of travelers have experienced discrimination on a business trip. That’s not just women, Black people, or those in the LGBTQ+ community – that’s everyone as a whole.

Companies should consider how some countries could pose a higher risk for certain travelers and explore options for keeping them safe. There should be an exception process if someone does not want to travel to a specific country because of the risk to their safety or local laws that discriminate against them. Just because a country isn’t featured on your high-risk list doesn’t mean that it’s not high risk for certain types of travelers. We’ve been working with clients to identify these gaps and plug them.

Q. What about the language and tone of the policy? Do they play a role in creating a more inclusive policy?

We recommend using gender-inclusive language in the policy. It’s an effective way to convey to employees with different gender identities that they matter.

Tone of voice is also very important. You don’t want it to sound like you’re holding people’s hands, but you do want to be supportive.

Q. Do you have any suggestions on the organization and presentation of a policy?

Consider the diverse types of travelers at the company and meet them where they are. For instance, travelers with a form of neurodiversity, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or dyslexia, may struggle to read a 46-page document and absorb all that information. So, consider a fact sheet highlighting the main points.

Another important thing is clear signposting. If you have additional information and support for people with disabilities, then don’t put that information at the back on page 36 of a 42-page document. Have a statement near the front showing that the company supports people with accessibility needs. Then, punch that out to a different section where they can get into the nitty-gritty specifics.

Of course, once the travel policy has been updated, be sure to let people know it’s been revamped to align with the DE&I program and where travelers can get support. What’s the point in doing all this lovely work if you’re not telling anyone?

Q. Besides the travel policy, how else can companies align their DE&I policy with the business travel program? How is Amex GBT helping with this goal?

Policy is a great place to start, but there are so many areas in which companies can transform their travel program to make it more inclusive and accessible.

Think about the other areas of travel that will impact a booker or traveler’s experience, such as the end-to-end booking process, the accessibility of your tech, sourcing, and traveler engagement – to name just a few. These are all areas Amex GBT can support in.

In addition to our new policy assessment, we offer a gap analysis to identify where the client may have opportunities to improve DE&I in their managed travel. Before starting the process, we spend some time learning about our clients’ DE&I goals and the maturity of their program. It’s a tailored process to help the individual client get their policy where it needs to be.

We are also working to integrate accessibility-related solutions into the traveler experience. We recently launched the TRSA (Travelers Requiring Specialty Assistance) desk, which gives travelers with disabilities access to a trained team of travel counselors to support their accessibility needs.

The work this team is doing is amazing. (Learn more here.)

To help companies craft more inclusive travel guidelines that resonate with their diverse workforces, Amex GBT has created a 70+-point assessment that evaluates policies through the lens of DE&I. It is broken up into themes: air, rail, booking and approval processes, car and ground transportation, card and expense, hotel, and duty of care, which incorporates security, health, and well-being.

For more information, contact Kayleigh Rogers.

¹ Amex GBT internal reporting, Q2 2023