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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

work trip not what it seemed :/

259 replies

biokult · 15/04/2022 11:04

Accepted a job of which international travel was involved, was very lucky in that I had a couple offers, which I turned down for my current position. Country is considered unsafe, however the insitute I would be based at is in a tourist-y area which is why I was comfortable agreeing.

Things have been very rushed due to lack of staff, and feel like my queries are not being answered.

My current dilemna is thus: a member of the team mentioned they would be based at a certain site, which was not the area I had expected to working in. I would then be expected to commute there via taxi, or "maybe collegues can drop you". I said no problem, assuming that if it was part of their company the area would also be fine.

Have since looked up the area and it is dodgy AF, yougov strongly recommend avoiding this and similar neighbourhoods. If you must go there you should have a local guide/security. Cabs will often refuse to pick you up from there due to high crime rate. I do not want to rely on collegues I do not for lifts in case they let me down and I am stuck.

I have agreed to the trip, although had this detail been made clear I would've said no. I feel like no precuations have been put in place, or discussed with me.

Please help me navigate this. My sister & her partner (who I live with) are being incredibly unhelpful, telling me to quit on the spot and no job is worth my life or being assualted etc etc. Obviously this is true, but I also want to maintain good working relationships and ideally not be unemployed!

Pretty pissed off tbh, anyone been in similar situations?

OP posts:
BungleandGeorge · 15/04/2022 11:55

I think being sent somewhere for work is totally different to choosing to travel there yourself. If official advice is to avoid the area I’d expect your employer to respect that, unless your job specifically involves taking that risk (eg security, journalist etc)?
Even with a high crime rate there will be people who statistically manage to avoid any trouble but you might be the unlucky one through no fault of your own..

Original poster
biokult · 15/04/2022 11:55

@Loopytiles

They’d want YOU to do the work for the risk assessment and the practical organising?

If so, that seems crap.

Is this a small, new company or something?

No! This is a reputable company but like I said I think things have fallen through the cracks because of staff sickness.

They have a great HR department etc who I'm sure would help, but the problem is this has all be sprung upon me, and I need to really talk to my LM before escalating when I have just started.

OP posts:
Yellownightmare · 15/04/2022 11:56

I'm sorry but I don't think it's your job to do the risk assessment. The onus is on the company to perform its own risk assessment. They have a duty of care for their employees.

I don't think I'd be going.

thecurtainsofdestiny · 15/04/2022 11:57

I also think they should do the risk assessment as they are asking you to do this.

OakPine · 15/04/2022 11:58

I wouldn’t go. Restart your job search.

Grimoven · 15/04/2022 11:58

I dont think any job is worth the risk to be honest

Bagpusssays · 15/04/2022 12:00

OK sorry. I just mean this particular set up doesn't seem right for you. There's a gap between what you expect and what they expect. And i suspect that will show in other ways and impact on your ability to do the work.

Look if you genuinely feel your employer is being cavalier with your safety, which is what you seem to be saying, you should quit.

Original poster
biokult · 15/04/2022 12:01

@Bagpusssays

OK sorry. I just mean this particular set up doesn't seem right for you. There's a gap between what you expect and what they expect. And i suspect that will show in other ways and impact on your ability to do the work.

Look if you genuinely feel your employer is being cavalier with your safety, which is what you seem to be saying, you should quit.

But I don't think this setup is right for anyone?

If you are going somewhere for work, the onus is on the employer to minimise risk of harm to their employees.

My ex partner was a journalist who travelled to many unsafe places, and the amount of redtape and admin that was involved was crazy.

OP posts:
ZoyaTheDestroyer · 15/04/2022 12:01

You need to clarify the insurance arrangements. My cousin had to have hostile environment training in order for her business travel insurance to be valid in parts of central and south America.

EileenGC · 15/04/2022 12:04

Surely if the government advises against travelling to that specific area, your travel insurance won’t cover you for the duration of the trip? I’d refuse to travel without insurance to France, let alone Mexico.

If that’s the case, your company needs to provide adequate specialist insurance and be really clear on what the terms are.

I completely get you being worried this. I would approach your company from the legal side of it though, not just your personal worry about it. In simple terms, you cannot travel somewhere where you won’t be covered or have access to decent care or law enforcement in case of an emergency.

EwwSprouts · 15/04/2022 12:06

Heck no to you doing your own risk assessment.

TyrannosaurusRegina · 15/04/2022 12:07

Regardless of people saying 'oh I was fine when I was there', if you feel uncomfortable due to official government advice then you should definitely raise this with your employer and be taken seriously. Personally I backpacked around the world in my 20s and went to some right dodgy places. Just because I was OK on those occasions, doesn't mean its safe.

I would be asking to see a robust risk assessment and their business travel insurance for employees for starters. You do have the right to refuse to work in this area.

TyrannosaurusRegina · 15/04/2022 12:08

And NO to doing the risk assessment yourself. If your employer is asking you to do this then it smacks of them not taking risk seriously.

FabFitFifties · 15/04/2022 12:12

Don't go unless the company does satisfactory risk assessments and addresses all of your concerns. Learn to drive as a priority. Start looking for another job.

Iamnotamermaid · 15/04/2022 12:15

Any chance you can speak or discuss with members of the team who are already there or who have traveled there in the past to get a feel for what to expect?

LoveSpringDaffs · 15/04/2022 12:15

@biokult

There are all kinds of things wrong with this.

Your company don't appear to have a fucking clue what THEIR responsibility is.

I'd say 'no', because they are putting you in a very unsafe position & taking No responsibility.

Start looking for a better company to work for.

Sportsnight · 15/04/2022 12:19

What industry are you in?

In my industry you would be expected to have something like hostile environment training before travelling to somewhere against FCO advice. You would also likely have a local guide.

gardenhelpneeded · 15/04/2022 12:20

Doing the risk assessment yourself?! I don’t think so.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 15/04/2022 12:26

Have a look at...
www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mexico

MeasureTwice · 15/04/2022 12:27

If the locals think an area is dodgy, I'd take that seriously, especially in a country where you will likely stand out as visibly different from the average person. Most likely nothing would happen, but it wouldn't be worth the risk, imo. I wouldn't be able to do my best work, anyway, if I was constantly worried about my safety.

doublemonkey · 15/04/2022 12:28

Huge amount of poverty & unemployment, exceptionally high crime rates including gang violence, shootings, carjackings, sexual assualts, kidnapping. Locals say that taxis often will not go there due to the risk of crime, so there is possibility of me being stuck there after work.

I haven't heard back from my line manager, but like I said the team out there are happy to be based there apparently. Although I do not know if they have actually started work there yet.

Nuff said. That would be a hard NO from me. Unless I was being paid a huge amount of danger money I wouldn't even consider it.

BakeOffRewatch · 15/04/2022 12:29

This company isn’t looking after you. Doesn’t matter if it’s due to sickness. I agree with your family. There is no lost face in saying you left a position as safety protocols were not being maintained.

CompassPoint · 15/04/2022 12:30

I'm Mexican, although I've lived in the UK for years now and you are absolutely correct to take the FO guidance seriously. I grew up in a shitty neighborhood and I think it would be a terrible idea to travel to the other site with any regularity.

Working somewhere is entirely different to going as a tourist. You will likely be travelling the same/similar routes at the same/similar times - anyone who wants to will be able to take note of that.
And before anyone jumps on me for that, there are "spotters" for want of a better term who watch for rich white folk with daily routines, they sell that info to whoever wants it.

Mxflamingnoravera · 15/04/2022 12:31

You need to do a risk assessment and share it with your employer, they have a duty of care wherever they are expecting you to work.

I used to do lots of international travel and staying in safe areas was one of our key risk mitigations.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 15/04/2022 12:32

I’m confused. You say they are a reputable company but also say:

I haven't heard about a risk assessment although the company have confirmed I need to do one.

That is not the approach of a reputable company. That is a company that is dodgy AF! If they are sending you to this work location - they do the risk assessment.