You must have a travel policy for your employees if you’re a business owner. This ensures everyone travels safely and within your company’s rules and regulations.
But even with a travel policy in place, some employees may be reluctant to comply with it. That’s where these 5 strategies come in!
We’ll show you how to promote compliance and ensure that your travel policy follows the letter.
1. Make sure they know the rules
Educating your employees on travel policies benefits the company and helps ensure that your employees have the most reliable and successful business trips. By informing everyone of the rules and regulations associated with traveling for work, you can help save time and money by preventing unnecessary missteps or expenses.
Having a well-educated staff will increase policy compliance, as each team member will be up-to-date on any changes or relevant guidelines regarding their required business trips.
For example, if gas prices skyrocket, travelers may spend more on fuel for travel than what is allowed in the policy. A well-educated team will be aware of the limits and can even bring them to your attention, as temporary changes might be necessary. If you’ve found yourself in a similar scenario, visit Hotel Engine to learn more.
If a company emphasizes the knowledge of its travel policy and encourages communication between departments, it’ll no doubt create positive outcomes for the entire organization.
2. Offer incentives for policy compliance
Offering incentives to traveling employees who follow the travel policy is a practical approach to promoting adherence. This motivates individuals to stay within their budget and not make unreasonable requests while providing tangible rewards for their efforts.
For example, extra vacation days or a nice dinner can create positive associations with following the policy and encourage more employees to comply.
Ultimately, this helps companies save time, money, and reputational risk associated with allowing people wide latitude with travel spending. Incentives are an easy and proven way to ensure travel policy compliance.
3. Limit what expenses get reimbursed
Restricting what expenses are reimbursable to traveling employees may seem like a drag, but it could be the key to promoting compliance with your travel policy.
Sure, it’s never fun setting limits to how much can be spent on food or accommodations while on the road, but when an employee knows ahead of time what will and won’t be covered by their employer, they’re more likely to stick to the rules.
Plus, when a clear-cut travel policy guides an entire team, it helps you keep costs down and makes meetings away from the office smoother and everyone’s experience more pleasant overall.
4. Utilize online booking tools
Travel policy compliance can be a tricky matter. But with the right travel booking tools, it can be made so much simpler!
Booking through approved channels online ensures that travelers are within the limits of their companies’ policies and spend caps—without having to keep track of paperwork or confirmations.
Moreover, some companies have access to additional features, such as automated approval processes that cut out multiple approval steps from the traveler and make the entire process smoother.
So if you’re looking for an easier way to promote travel policy compliance, why not consider using the right travel booking tools? In no time, you could experience a consistent and hassle-free method for making compliant bookings stress-free!
5. Be more persuasive
A persuasive approach to traveling employees is the best way to ensure that all staff adheres to the company travel policy.
After all, a persuasive pitch backed up by a thorough explanation of why this particular rule or process exists can make a difference. It’s always best to do it in a friendly, humorous, and informative manner rather than making those you’re persuading feel small or inadequate.
A company travel policy is there for a reason and should be treated with respect, but these policies should also be seen as protecting all involved – both staff and the company itself. By using persuasion and providing an effective explanation, both parties can work together to reach the shared goal of a safe and secure journey for everyone.
Conclusion
When done right, a well-constructed travel policy can be an invaluable asset to any company. By offering incentives for compliance, limiting what expenses get reimbursed, utilizing online booking tools, and being persuasive in explaining the importance of adhering to the policy, companies can ensure that employees travel responsibly—while also avoiding unnecessary costs.