Lone worker policy?new manager doesn't care.

[Boxingshibes]

At work we have a new manager. We all work independently/lone workers with a lot of travel in UK and globally.
Collectively we have concerns as we dont always feel safe. Our travel team have new people and are fucking up massively, so hotels not booked, train tickets wrong we have to pay for them and claim back ( very expensive and not always doable)
Our previous manager used to informally check in when away, especially as trains are so unreliable and taxis dont always feel safe.
Its not a female thing mymale colleague feel the same.
New manager has basically said' you are all adults deal with it'
Legally if anything happens the company would be liable as we're all ft employees.
Can we draft our own lone worker policy?

If you all go with a suggestion I think they'd be unreasonable not to consider it

I'd go above the new manager to their manager and HR and ask for a copy of the lone working policy. If there isn't one, suggest they look at this:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/lone-working/

I'd also be throwing the travel team under the bus and making formal complaints, with a full list of the fuck ups affecting your team. That's not good enough, it's unsafe, it's expensive and their managers need to sort that out ASAP

Our company is great when staff are visiting places like Mexico or Uganda etc. Ensuring they are picked up at airports and escorted from hotel to workplace.

But if staff were visiting UK, France or Germany for example they would pretty much be left to it.

We have company credit cards with adequate credit for emergencies.

Your company would only be liable if they were negligent for example, if they sent you to a high risk place without proper safety planning or security

A manager checking in with you is not considered safety planning.

I’ve always travelled for work, largely alone and I’ve never once been called to check in, nor has anyone else? This is a large company, in my experience it’s not a normal thing for a manager to do.

@GreenFootstool thanks ill take a look.

@WeAllHaveWings unfortunately no company cards.

I spend min 2 weeks a month in places in the UK. Train, taxi/ uber, preferably and hotel. I refuse a Travelodge. Sometimes I dont get there till after 9pm.
The manager doesn't care as long as I turn up and do my job! Arghh

I think you need to start with no travel until certain things are put right. Correct train, suitable hotel etc.

Your manager or company is not obligated to ensure you made it to your hotel in the UK.

They should have a central emergency contact incase you have an emergency when travelling, and react if you don't show up for work the next day.

@WeAllHaveWings we dont have either no emergency contact or if we dont turn up someone would email to complain but if would take a while before anyone noticed they dont connect the dots.

But do they not have any duty of care?
I have been in situations when the taxi driver went the wrong way/ wouldn't let me out/ hotel room didnt lock or someone tried to enter etc

I currently have a temporary sight problem and have been told to effectively suck it up.

If you need reasonable adjustments for your sight problem you should formally request them from the company. I wouldn’t ever expect a manager to check in that you’re managing the journey or hotel okay, especially not in the UK. I’d expect you to send a text or call them if you’re delayed and going to be late or something though. If the hotel door doesn’t lock that’s not a problem your manager can solve, that’s something to speak to the hotel reception about

What do you expect your company to be able do remotely in those situations? Those are issues for you to raise with police or hotel, they can’t do that for you.

If your sight issue, understandably, prevents you from fulling your travel obligations that are part of your role you can discuss temporarily adjustments if they are suitable for your role, otherwise go on sick leave if not.