Executive Protection for Business. Travel Security Policy

Must read !  CEO, C-Level, Vice-President, Travellers, Ex pat.

In today’s increasingly globalized economy, frequent corporate traveling and overall workforce mobility are becoming more and more commonplace. The progressive decentralization and deterritorialization of the traditional workplace comes with a wide array of new security concerns that should effectively be addressed by employers. Failure to take into account these concerns  can have a clear detrimental effect on the health and productivity of a business.

An example of Travel Security Policy:

YOUR CORPORATION

Strictly confidential

Draft zero

TRAVEL SECURITY POLICY

This memorandum is to set forth our policy with respect to security-related matters or potentially hazardous situations that could affect the safety of «YOUR CORPORATION» travellers and expatriates and/or the reputation of «YOUR CORPORATION». Its aim is to provide a coherent and comprehensive travel security policy, comprising pre-travel country briefings, travel security support and, as necessary, pre-mission security clearance procedures, in order to ensure the safety and security of all «YOUR CORPORATION» travellers and expatriates to the maximum extent possible.

DUTY OF CARE FOR TRAVELLERS AND EXPATRIATES

1. «YOUR CORPORATION» is committed to ensuring the security and safety of its travellers and expatriates. For this to be possible, it is necessary to evaluate the reasons for, and level of importance of, the travel in comparison to the risks that it may present to the health and wellbeing of the staff (and their dependants). «YOUR CORPORATION» takes its duty of care toward its staff very seriously; therefore we have designed our Travel Security Policy with the safety and security of «YOUR CORPORATION» travellers and expatriates uppermost in mind.
2. It is, however, not possible to anticipate every possible adverse situation a traveller might encounter, ranging from natural disasters to major accidents/incidents. All travellers and expatriates are therefore expected at all times to exercise good judgment and apply common sense. Importantly, «YOUR CORPORATION» should never expect any traveller to place himself/herself at risk without his/her consent.

SCOPE

3. This policy applies to all persons subject to «YOUR CORPORATION» staff regulations and rules engaged in business travel. It also applies to spouses and recognized primary dependants and/or companions when engaged in business travel.
4. For the purpose of this policy, are considered as part of a “business travel” the following persons:

• Traveller: Member whom the Subscriber has declared to be on a work-related assignment or on private travel on behalf of the Subscriber outside his/her Home Country or his/her Country of Assignment for up to ninety (90) consecutive days and less than one hundred and eighty (180) days during any consecutive twelve (12) month period.
• Expatriate: Member whom the Subscriber has declared to be on a work-related assignment on behalf of the Subscriber outside his/her Home Country for periods in excess of ninety (90) consecutive days or more than one hundred eighty (180) days during any twelve (12) month period.

5. “Business travel” does not include:

• Travel by a route other than the most direct route when requested by the staff member, and when, for any reason, that route involves travel through areas rated as high and/or extreme risks.
• Private travel arranged by a staff member as part of the travel for official mission purposes, if your Loss Prevention Department has not been informed of that route in a timely manner or if, being informed of the route, has advised against such travel.

In such non-business related situations, staff members may not expect automatic assistance from Loss Prevention Department and are therefore encouraged to make their own arrangements.

TRAVEL RISK LEVELS

6. The phase levels used by «YOUR CORPORATION» are the five risk ratings developed International organizations.

(Extreme, High, Medium, Low, and Insignificant). 

TRAVEL RISK MANAGEMENT

PRIOR SECURITY CLEARANCE

7. Travellers and expatriates should be assisted in whatever capacity deemed most appropriate to ensure that they receive the best available pre-travel advice and emergency assistance in the event of a situation arising which may pose a threat to their overall security and safety. They should be tracked in order to ensure that «YOUR CORPORATION» is best placed to assist the traveller if required.
8. Prior security clearance should be required for all travels to Extreme or High Risk countries. All travels to Medium, Low and Insignificant Risk areas may proceed without the need for a security clearance prior to travel.
9. As a rule, «YOUR CORPORATION» will not authorize travel to Extreme Risk countries, as these are not covered by the emergency assistance programme in place. If there is a compelling justification for such travel to be undertaken, a written request shall be submitted by the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for its approval. The Chief Operations Officer may approve such travel on an exceptional basis, if the overarching interest of the «YOUR CORPORATION» justifies travel to an extreme risk environment. In such cases, the «YOUR CORPORATION» will cover the cost of any emergency assistance required.
10. Travel to High Risk countries should be considered on a case by case basis. Chief operations Officer is authorized to deny the initial travel request if he/she considers the travel not to be of an “essential nature”. If the Chief Operations Officer considers the travel to be of an “essential nature”, he/she shall submit a written request to the Chairman of the Crisis Management Team (CMT) or his designee for approval.
11. Following a comprehensive review of the risks faced by the traveller, the person in charge or his/herdesignee may authorize the travel (security clearance) if he/she considers that the necessary measures can be taken to minimize the risks and that the “essential nature” of the travel may justify the cost of those measures.

All alternatives should be explored, such as postponing the travel, holding a videoconference, and/or changing the venue for events.

PRE-TRAVEL COUNTRY BRIEFINGS

12. Pre-travel country security briefings should be required for all travels to Extreme, High and Medium

Risk areas.  All registered travellers and expatriates are strongly encouraged to read the country guide for their destination available via Loss prevention department.  YOUR CORPORATION also offers travellers and expatriates the possibility to access travel alerts as well as extensive information on their destination location.

13. Before commencing travel, every traveller should acknowledge:

• that he/she has read the corresponding country guide, that he/she fully understands the risks involved and that he/she is ultimately responsible for his/her own safety while travelling abroad;
• That he/she has carefully read, understood and shall comply with the instructions and advice provided by «YOUR CORPORATION».
• that he/she understands that not following the instructions/advice provided could discharge «YOUR CORPORATION» from its duty of care responsibilities and from any liability.

TRAVEL TRACKING

YOUR CORPORATION may subscribe to a travel tracking system to cover their travellers and expatriates with the highest standard of security services. 

14. All travels will be tracked electronically in case there is a significant event which may impact on the security and well–being of the traveller.
15. Tracking travel will allow YOUR CORPORATION Loss Prevention department to send special alerts and security updates to travellers and expatriates so that they may be contacted and informed, should the situation suddenly deteriorate at their destination.
16. For that purpose, travellers and expatriates going to Extreme and High Risk environments shall receive electronically a “travel ready questionnaire” that they are expected to fill out and return prior to the commencement of their mission.
17. Travellers and expatriates going to Medium, Low and Insignificant Risk environments are strongly advised to discuss their travel arrangements with, and to provide emergency contact numbers to, their supervisor and/or Administrative Assistant before going on mission.
18. «YOUR CORPORATION» Loss Prevention Department may contact individual travellers and expatriates in order to give further advice.

GENERAL TRAVEL BOOKING REQUIREMENTS

19. All mission travel shall be booked through the «YOUR CORPORATION» Travel Agency. In this way «YOUR CORPORATION» will be able to track all travellers and expatriates in the event of an emergency. If tickets are purchased/provided other than through the «YOUR CORPORATION» Travel Agency, «YOUR CORPORATION» will not be able to guarantee timely assistance unless the necessary travel details are notified to the Loss Prevention Department in advance of the travel to ensure travel tracking.

TRAVEL OF DEPENDANTS

20. Spouses and recognized primary dependants and/or companions are covered and must therefore strictly adhere to the same security and risk mitigation procedures that apply to the staff on mission. These persons must, therefore, also be registered with the section in charge so that the information can be entered into the travel tracker system and safety and security assistance rendered if required.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

TRAVELLERS AND EXPATRIATES

21. Travellers and expatriates are individually responsible for the following:

• reviewing the country guide information provided on the Loss Prevention Department website and becoming aware of the risk ratings for the destinations to which they wish to travel, including contacting the Loss Prevention Department in the event of doubt and/or the need for further information;
• seeking security clearance, before travelling to Extreme and High Risk locations, well in advance of the planned mission in order to ensure that, if «YOUR CORPORATION» grants appropriate security clearance, Loss Prevention Department is able to plan and implement the necessary measures;
• electronically signing off that they have read the country briefing forwarded by Loss Prevention Department for travel to Extreme, High and Medium Risk areas; • carefully completing the “travel ready questionnaire” before engaging in travel (Extreme and High Risk destinations only);
• complying with the recommendations and advice provided by Loss Prevention Department;
• maintaining required security awareness and applying good judgement and common sense while travellingabroad, as each traveller is ultimately responsible for his/her own safety.

DIRECTORS

22. Directors have the following responsibilities:

• to ensure that the Travel Security Policy is implemented and strictly adhered to within their respective divisions;
• to decide whether the planned mission should proceed in view of the risks incurred and taking into account the travel experience and the profile of the staff member(s) concerned;
• where a planned mission is deemed essential and should proceed to Extreme or High Risk countries, to ensure that the measures recommended by Loss Prevention Department are implemented.

23. Directors have the ultimate responsibility for assessing the “essential nature” of the missions to be undertaken and ensuring that their staffs are adequately prepared to travel.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT TEAM

24. The CMT is «YOUR CORPORATION» senior management body whose responsibility is, inter alia, to assess potential or real threats to the security and/or safety of «YOUR CORPORATION» travellers and expatriates and to develop, coordinate and oversee the «YOUR CORPORATION»’s response to such threats.
25. The responsibilities of the CMT or its Chairman (Chief Operation Officer – COO), as the case may be, include the following:

• overall responsibility for the implementation of «YOUR CORPORATION» Travel Security Policy and procedures;
• in the case of a proposed mission to an Extreme or High Risk environment, to authorize the planned travel but only if it has carried out a comprehensive review of the risks faced by «YOUR CORPORATION» travellers and expatriates and considers that effective measures can be taken to mitigate such risks and that the “essential nature” of the mission justifies the costs in such mitigation; the CMT will ensure that all options have been explored, such as postponing the travel and/or changing venue for events, before security clearance is granted;
• act as “crisis cell” in the event of an emergency situation and take appropriate decisions on behalf of «YOUR CORPORATION».

LOSS PREVENTION DEPARTMENT

26. The Loss Prevention Department has the responsibility for the following:

• act as the primary interface between Loss Prevention Department and the CMT;
• act as the primary interface between Loss Prevention Department and security professionals abroad concerning security issues affecting «YOUR CORPORATION» travellers and expatriates;
• act as primary interface between «YOUR CORPORATION» travellers and expatriates and the CMT for the purpose of requesting and receiving security clearances; • supervise the recording in «name of YOUR CORPORATION» travel tracking system of details of travel not booked through «YOUR CORPORATION» Travel Agency;
• notify the Travel Unit, at least the day before departure, if conditions for travel and security clearance have not been met;
• provide advice to Directors and security briefings to travellers and expatriates, as necessary;
• advise the Chairman of the CMT of any situation/incident that may require the extraordinary convening of the CMT.

TRAVEL UNIT

27. The Travel Unit is responsible for the following:

• centralizing all travel related information;
• managing the relationship with «YOUR CORPORATION» Travel Agency to ensure that travel booking data is transferred to Loss Prevention Department in a timely manner;
• instructing «YOUR CORPORATION» Travel Agency to cancel and/or block reservations for «YOUR CORPORATION» travels to

Extreme or High Risk locations when not all conditions for security clearance have been met;

• notifying «YOUR CORPORATION» traveller that his/her mission is cancelled as the requirements of the security policy have not been met.

PREVIOUS TRAVEL POLICY 

28. All previous administrative memoranda and policies concerning security clearances, security phase levels and the security of «YOUR CORPORATION» travellers and expatriates are hereby cancelled and replaced by the policy set forth in this memorandum.
29. This policy will be subject to regular reports to the Chief Operation Officer – COO. Staff members are encouraged to share their experience with the implementation of this policy.