The role of a corporate travel policy is clearly defined: It provides rules, procedures, and guidance for travelling employees.
But to make the biggest impact, it needs to be clear, practical, easy to access, and flexible enough to reflect how employees actually travel. It should also evolve as business needs, travel habits, technology, and company priorities change.
To promote wider compliance and ensure travellers know what to do when their plans are affected, there are several best practices you can follow in your corporate travel policy.
Best practices for a corporate travel policy
1. Make your travel policy easy to find
A corporate travel policy needs to be accessible to all travelling employees to ensure they can familiarise themselves with the contents. Saving it centrally or, even better, employees saving it locally is a necessity for promoting compliance.
2. Keep your travel policy simple
Ensure the policy is easy to understand, with more complex terms explained and important details highlighted. You can also consider providing educational sessions where the main aspects are covered and any questions or misunderstandings can be clarified.
3. Cover all major travel scenarios
A travel policy needs to be simple yet comprehensive enough to cover for all possible scenarios and requirements. This can range from rules for international vs domestic travel and what can be covered through per diems, as well as guidance for special cases like bleisure travel, travel disruptions, and visits to high-risk destinations.
4. Give travellers reasonable flexibility
Choice and flexibility in booking business itineraries enables travellers to shape their itineraries around how they work best, boosting morale and focus. There is also the added benefit of increasing compliance, as rigid rules can lead to some travellers booking outside the system – often out of necessity.
5. Review and update your policy regularly
Travel policies should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect how the travel industry is changing. New technologies, sustainability goals, and a changing geopolitical environment all have an impact on how travellers work, book, and pay for their business trips.
6. Clarify the expense claims process
Ensure your expense claiming process isn’t convoluted. This is often the most confusing and stressful step for new travellers, so be sure to clarify the necessary steps for how your business travellers can claim back any expenses if necessary.
7. Provide guidance for emergencies
As part of the duty of care, businesses must have processes in place in case of an emergency. The safety and security of your travelling colleagues is of utmost importance, so the travel policy should clearly outline who to contact, what support is available, and how to handle changes to travel plans.
8. Measure, track, and analyse travel costs
Regularly reviewing travel spend can help you understand where money is being spent, identify unusual or unnecessary costs, and spot opportunities to save. These insights can help you refine the policy, improve compliance, and make more informed decisions about suppliers, budgets, and future travel.
9. Build sustainability into your travel policy
Incorporating sustainable practices into your business travel policy is essential for meeting sustainability targets. Make sure to set clear expectations around when travel is necessary, which transport options should be preferred, and how factors such as distance, cost, and emissions should be considered. Where appropriate, encourage lower-emission alternatives, such as rail instead of air travel, and make preferred options easy for employees to identify and book.
10. Define which corporate payment methods employees should use
Consider which payment methods are most suitable for different types of business travel and expenses. Options such as centrally billed accounts, corporate cards, and virtual cards can each serve different purposes depending on the situation.
A clear approach to corporate payment can improve visibility over travel costs and simplify reconciliation and expense management.
11. Consider employee needs and wellbeing
When writing your corporate travel policy, it can be easy to overlook that each traveller is a human being – a valued member of your company. Consider their needs thoroughly to ensure they are safe, comfortable, and motivated to do their best.
Is your corporate travel policy fit for purpose?
These best practices will help ensure your corporate travel policy meets the needs of your business. The benefits they bring include better adherence to the policy, reduced admin work, and a more cost- and time-efficient business travel programme.
Get it right, and you will have motivated, well-prepared team members out there representing your business at that important event or major client meeting.
Want to know how an effective travel policy works in practice? See what an expert had to say about a travel policy that benefits everyone.
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