Mary Miller Sallah (left) and Anuja Agrawal (right) are co-authors of the book Check-Up, Check-In: Why Business Travel Strategies Should Prioritize Employee Health And Wellness
The safety of business travellers should be a top priority for all companies, but extra precautions are often necessary for LGBTQ+ employees.
Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ people sometimes face discrimination and violence in many parts of the world. Laws and cultural attitudes in different states and countries can put them at risk. According
to research from Business Travel Show Europe, most business travel
programmes fail to take LGBTQ+ travellers into account – although increasingly more
are making provisions – and 95 per cent of LGBTQ+ business travellers have at times concealed their
sexual orientation, with the most common reason being to ensure their own safety.
Even today, 68 countries consider same-sex relations a crime. In some destinations where being LGBTQ+ is illegal, websites and mobile apps used to connect with the LGBTQ+ community may be used against them. Some countries even run sting operations, monitoring online activity and meeting places.
Is it not surprising, perhaps, that 85 per cent of LGBTQ+ people have changed their travel arrangements out of concern for their safety, compared to just 53 per cent of their non-LGBTQ+ colleagues. And sadly, more than half of LGBTQ+ travellers say they have experienced discrimination while traveling.
Considering such alarming data and unique challenges faced when travelling, it is critical that LGBTQ+ business travellers are well-informed about the potential risks posed in a destination.
LGBTQ+ travellers and their employers must learn in advance about a destination’s attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community. Conduct thorough research while planning the trip, considering the cultural and legal climate, including when booking a hotel. Consider using the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA.org) as a resource for finding LGBTQ-owned businesses.
Business travellers should also be aware of transgender issues during security checks – cultural attitudes and laws regarding transgender people in conservative societies can present a stressful and unsafe environment. The National Center for Transgender Equality emphasises that a search, which is inevitable in the case of abnormalities, should be conducted by an officer of the same gender as the person in front of them (ie, a male officer for a male transgender traveller and a female officer for a female transgender traveller). The organisation also emphasises that no one should be searched simply because the documents suggest a different gender than they appear to be, and that no one should be subjected to questions about their gender.
Travellers always prioritise their own safety. Even in more accepting areas it is sometimes wise to stay discreet to avoid drawing attention to yourself. Holding hands, casual touching and kissing may be considered public displays and are illegal in some countries. If harassed, exit the situation and don’t escalate it. Contact diplomatic representation to report the issue. Anyone who is the victim of a crime should contact local authorities as well as their diplomatic representation. If being followed, enter a busy establishment.
All travellers should also consider taking paper copies of important documents. There are apps to hold digital copies, but you never know what might happen to a phone. Take along paper copies of passports, flight information, hotel confirmations and other important documents. Keep these documents safe and out of sight as they have confidential information on them.
More companies need to have instructive internal conversations about the risks of business travel in general and how those risks pertain to their LGBTQ+ employees in particular. Companies should create an environment that is welcoming, where the culture is such that LGBTQ+ employees feel comfortable and empowered to discuss their travel challenges, knowing there won't be any negative repercussions or stigma associated with doing so.
If an employee feels uncomfortable with travelling, their company should consider alternatives, such as a teleconference, for the meetings they would attend on the trip. Other alternatives could be to have another employee take the trip, or to delay the trip.
The biggest takeaway for both employers and their LGBTQ+ employees who are travelling is to be proactively informed and to take all safety precautions. Companies, even less so travellers themselves, don’t want a situation where someone is in peril in another jurisdiction where the LGBTQ+ employee has no rights.