Tensions have been heightened on the Korean peninsula over the past several months, with North Korea threatening to attack the US and South Korea. This hostile rhetoric ramped up in February, when the international community tightened sanctions against North Korea after it conducted nuclear and long-range missile tests. The tensions reached a peak during joint South Korea-US military exercises on the peninsula in March-April. Read full blog post
Recent Posts
Track and Inform to Keep Travelers Safe
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a webinar How to Locate Your Workforce Today and Tomorrow, part of a series on Duty of Care and best practices. We took a look at technology that can educate and alert your employees of risks and ways to mitigate so they are prepared when trouble hits; trends in travel tracking; managing “Maverick” travelers who book outside the approved system; and the importance of an “I’m OK” policy. Read full blog post
Because 200 Million Is Too Many: Recognizing World Malaria Day
About 3.3 billion people, half of the world’s population, are at risk of malaria. As we recognize World Malaria Day on April 25, it’s important to remember that this disease, which is spread by mosquitoes, infects 219 million people each year. And according to the World Health Organization, it kills 660,000 of them. Read full blog post
H7N9 Threat Continues as Organizations Update Travelers, Pandemic Plans
Over the past two weeks, we have seen a heightened state of alert in China in response to the identification of a new Avian Influenza virus A(H7N9) that has acquired the capability to infect humans. There are now more than 60 confirmed cases and numerous deaths. Read full blog post
H7N9 Bird Flu Virus hits China: What’s the Diagnosis?
Recently, a strain of bird flu virus was identified (H7N9) in China that’s now affecting humans. So far, more than 30 people in Shanghai and three surrounding provinces have become infected. New cases are being reported nearly every day and there have been a significant number of fatalities.
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Duty of Care and Evacuation Planning
The possibility of an evacuation of personnel and their families from a manmade or natural disaster keeps many security directors up at night. Evacuations are true team efforts where all moving parts must be practiced and happen in just the right order to be successful.
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Room for Improvement: Communicate More Frequently
When it comes to Duty of Care and your traveling employees, communicating how your company has resources and programs to keep them healthy, safe and secure is crucial. It gives them the knowledge and power to make important and sometimes life saving decisions. And from a poll conducted during a recent webinar on the topic, many professionals are only communicating to travelers, expatriates and others once a year. Read full blog post
The Dark Side of Studying Abroad – Duty of Care and Duty of Loyalty
As assistance providers, we hear all too often about students getting into trouble when studying abroad. And it’s not just students away from home for the first time who drink too much or make uniformed decisions that can lead to a momentary lapse of judgment – although that can be a reason to bring a student home. This is about the sudden and stressful shift to new environments and routines that can cause underlying mental health issues to bubble to the surface. That can sometimes tragically lead to suicide at worst and a repatriation home at best. Read full blog post
How to Communicate, Educate, and Train Your Global Workforce
It’s challenging today to get the attention of busy international business travelers, expatriates (and their dependents) and other globally mobile employees as they hop on planes or relocate their lives to a new country. Even more difficult can be educating and training them so they can “think on their feet” and make wise choices as they cross borders regarding their health and security. Yet, some global organizations do this better than others. Here’s four secrets to follow. Read full blog post
A Busy Year Ahead: Travel Trends and Tripwires
It should come as no surprise that global travel is increasing. There are new and exciting opportunities in Africa and Asia. As the US economy improves, more and more organizations are sending travelers and expatriates on meetings and assignments abroad. Read full blog post