Mitigating travel risk for LGBTQ+ employees

Increasingly, more people are openly identifying as LGBTQ+. Ipsos recently found that 47% of all adults say they have a relative, friend or work colleague who is lesbian/gay/homosexual, up five points since 2021, and 13% say they know someone who is transgender, up three points.  

With more of the population and the workforce identifying as LGBTQ+, businesses should understand how to properly support these employees, especially in regard to the duty of care during business travel and long-term work assignments.

While there’s been plenty of progress globally in tackling LGBTQ+ discrimination and creating a more equal and welcoming world, there are still many regions where LGBTQ+ travelers face higher security risks. LGBTQ+ travelers are also more vulnerable to discrimination, and, in general, enjoy less rights and freedoms that non-LGBTQ+ individuals. 

So when approaching business travel, employers need to bear this possible risk in mind and take precautions to ensure an employee’s risk is mitigated. 

Build a personal risk profile 

A “one-size-fits-all” travel risk management approach will not work for an increasingly diverse workforce. As with any employee, an individual’s identity can feed into their risk profile when going abroad. For an LGBTQ+ employee, there’s a variety of risk elements to consider such as health needs, legal constraints, security risks or cultural sensitivities in the destination country.

Ahead of a trip, travel risk managers should work with the employee to build a travel risk profile. If the employee is comfortable disclosing their sexual orientation and gender identity, a personal profile can be built and their specific level of risk measured.

With the right technology, the personal data - which is not accessible to the employer - can be combined with ongoing location data, legal restrictions and cultural norms to map out the possible risks an employee may face. With identity-based risk assessments, more informed decisions can be made and contingency plans can be built.

These plans can include establishing crisis management protocols, ensuring that the employee will be aware of the legal framework in place, the cultural sensitivities in the country, have access to the medications needed, as well as knowing who to contact in the case of an emergency.

With research from Stonewall finding that more than a third of staff have hidden or disguised the fact they are LGBTQ+ at work as they were afraid of discrimination, it’s important that this information is approached sensitively.

As such, travel managers should work closely with human resource teams, as well as any LGBTQ+ employee resource groups, to raise awareness of the importance of being discrete with LGBTQ+ data employees disclose, especially when it comes to travel risk management. Alongside this, the LGBTQ+ specific information and assessments should be available to all employees regardless of whether or not they disclose their identity.

Provide an education

Training can also be another vital tool to help prepare LGBTQ+ employees ahead of business trips. Each employee will have varying levels of experience traveling abroad, so having specific modules on traveling as a member of the LGBTQ+ community will provide an opportunity for employees to learn more about keeping themselves safe when away. It’s vital that the training provides information in aspects such as social or cultural risks or specific risks for transgender travelers, which vary significantly across countries independently of the legal frameworks that protect against LGBTQ+ discrimination. 

This training should touch on what employees themselves can do to reduce their risk while traveling. For example, it can reiterate the need to make a judgement call before discussing their sexual orientation with anyone they are unfamiliar with, and refrain from sharing personal information such as addresses and travel plans with untrusted individuals on social media apps.

It’s especially important to avoid LGBTQ+ specific apps, which are banned in some countries, while others have used them for entrapment purposes, with conversations held over the apps used as evidence in criminal trials. Similarly, travelers should familiarize themselves with the existing societal and cultural sensitivities in country before engaging in public displays of affection. In some areas, this can draw unwanted attention and increase the risk of harassment. In other countries, such displays breach local law and increase the risk of detention or entrapment.

Training can also be further personalized by sharing country specific guidelines. Similar to the information in the personalized travel risk assessment, this should provide location specific information, such as informing LGBTQ+ employees to hold business meetings at inconspicuous venues, rather than “gay friendly” neighborhoods, which may be subject to increased surveillance by local authorities. Again, technology can be helpful in monitoring a location ahead of time, allowing travel managers and travelers to pre-empt any issues, such as potentially volatile protests. 

Arm employees with information

While armed with contingency plans and processes, it’s vital deployed employees know who exactly to contact and what services are available in case of an issue. With LGBTQ+ employees facing legal challenges, such as deportation or detention in some countries, being able to access appropriate legal advice and support is key.

So, reaching out to consulates and national embassies and establishing the level of consular support that may be available is good information to arm employees with ahead of time. For those who are detained, they need to know if they should be contacting an organization’s security manager, assistance provider or in-country consular representation. 

With plans, processes and a clear line of communication, there should be a streamlined reaction to a situation and prevent additional challenges. However, it’s important to keep an eye on this location and provide any additional information that may be relevant to safety. Technology can provide real-time alerts and bespoke operational and security insights on security incidents and political developments, which can be vital in ensuring a swift response to an evolving situation. Similarly such technology can allow employees to “check-in” with their organization and reassure the travel management team of their safety. 

Get feedback 

As with any employee who comes back from a work-related trip, it’s vital to get their feedback. Be it an element of the trip that was overlooked, a cultural aspect not highlighted or a protocol that could have been tighter, such feedback is key to building a better journey for future employees. LGBTQ+ employees can also bring a new perspective on business travel and highlight other elements that may have been overlooked. So once home, it’s key to follow up with these employees and get their input on future policies and procedures. 

While there are plenty of risks facing LGBTQ+ employees, there are plenty of ways to ensure their safety and help them carry out the business that is necessary to your organization. As with any employee, with proper plans, research, and protocols in place, an employee can set off with the right tools and support just in case anything does happen.