Corporate travel policy and duty of care: a practical guide
A good travel policy saves money, and a good duty of care plan protects people. This guide sets out what Pakistani companies usually include in both, and how Go Global runs them day to day.
What a travel policy should cover
A travel policy is the rulebook for business trips. It should be short enough for travellers to read and specific enough for a booker to apply without asking. Most policies we see in Pakistan cover the same ten areas.
The ten essentials
- Who may travel and who approves. Approval levels by grade or trip cost, and who signs off international travel.
- Advance booking. For example, domestic trips booked a set number of days ahead and international trips earlier, with exceptions approved.
- Cabin class. Economy as standard, with business class only above a flight length or grade.
- Fares. The lowest logical fare within a time window, and when refundable fares are allowed.
- Hotels. Nightly limits by city and preferred hotels where rates have been agreed.
- Ground transport. Airport transfers, car hire and ride-hailing rules.
- Changes and cancellations. Who can change a trip and who pays for penalties.
- Expenses and per diems. Daily allowances, receipts and how claims are submitted.
- Documents. Passport validity, visas and vaccination records checked before booking.
- Safety. What travellers must do before and during a trip (see Part 2).
Keep it workable
A policy that is too strict gets ignored; one that is too loose gives no control. Start with the routes and grades that make up most of your spend, write clear rules for those, and review the policy every year against your travel reports.
Duty of care, step by step
Duty of care is about reasonable, practical steps — before, during and after every trip.
Before
Risk check for the destination, documents and insurance confirmed, traveller briefed.
Booking
Every itinerary booked through one channel so the company knows who is where.
During
A clear contact for changes, delays and incidents, and a way to reach travellers.
Incident
An agreed process for medical, security or travel disruption events.
After
Debrief, expense close-out and lessons fed back into the policy.
How Go Global runs policy and care day to day
We book to your written policy, record every itinerary, and keep travellers’ documents and preferences on file. When something changes on the road, travellers contact the same team that booked the trip.
From January 2027, GTOS adds approvals before booking, policy checks on every option, receipt matching and risk alerts, so that managers and finance see the same picture as our team.
- Policy applied at the point of booking
- Approvals before money is spent
- Itineraries on record for every trip
- Travel and spend reports for policy reviews
Travel policy and duty of care: common questions
What should a corporate travel policy include?
At minimum: who can travel and who approves, how far in advance to book, cabin class rules, hotel limits by city, how changes and cancellations are handled, expenses and per diems, and what travellers must do before and during a trip for their safety.
What is duty of care in business travel?
Duty of care is an employer’s responsibility to take reasonable steps to keep employees safe and well while they travel for work. In practice it means knowing where travellers are, briefing them on risks, making sure they are insured and documented, and having a way to reach and support them if something goes wrong.
Is there a standard for travel risk management?
Yes. ISO 31030:2021 gives international guidance on managing risk for organisations and their travellers. It is guidance rather than a certification requirement, and it is a useful reference when writing a policy.
Can Go Global write our policy?
We can draft a first version with your HR and finance teams, based on how your people travel today, and then book to it.
Want a second opinion on your travel policy?
Send us your current policy, or tell us how your people travel, and our team will follow up. Email insights@goglobal.pk or WhatsApp 0320-4111222.