Unique Threats To Employees On Foreign Assignments
The advent of videoconferencing technology hasn't stopped global travel; Americans still travel overseas to conduct business. Unfortunately, traveling abroad presents a different level of health challenges that employees do not face while working within the country. As an employer, you need to be aware of these risks since you may have to bear some of their costs. Here are three examples of such risks:
Car Accidents
Car accidents pose a high level of threat to foreign travelers. In fact, according to some sources, automobile accidents are the biggest threat to the lives of Americans traveling overseas. There are several reasons for this. For example, some countries (due to different reasons, such as bad roads and lax enforcement of traffic rules) have higher rates of accidents than the U.S. Secondly; driving in a foreign country is dangerous due to the unfamiliarity with the local laws, customs, and road conditions.
When an employee is injured in a crash while on the job, they are entitled to workers compensation insurance. For example, an employee injured while driving from a meeting to their hotel will get workers compensation benefits.
Diseases
Apart from car accidents, your employees are also exposed to different diseases when they go outside the country. Common diseases that plague travelers include food poisoning, diarrhea, and different infectious diseases. Your employees may get sick because:
- Their bodies aren't as resistant to the infections like the local communities.
- The local sanitation levels aren't satisfactory.
- They can't get prompt medical care so any small disease can flare up into a serious health issue.
Physical Assaults
Physical assaults can also result in serious injuries that necessitate workers compensation claims. Crime is everywhere, and you can be assaulted in any country. Kidnappers, robbers, or even highway bandits can cause serious injuries, especially if weapons are involved.
However, in low-income countries, travelers are often targeted for their perceived wealth. Some countries, maybe due to socio-economic problems, have higher rates of physical crimes than the U.S. as a result, American travelers in such regions face higher risks of injury than they would face while working at home.
Considering all these issues, it's clear that traveling overseas pose serious threats to Americans well being. As an employer, you are responsible for ensuring that your workers are properly compensated if they do get injured. The best way of doing this is to buy foreign voluntary workers compensation.
You may be wondering why this is necessary since the standard workers compensation coverage often extends to employees traveling abroad. The reason is that the protection offered by the standard compensation is basic, and may not meet all the expenses that come with getting injured abroad. Talk to a workers compensation lawyer for more help.