Workplace engagement the key to beating leave liability

Corporate Traveller General Manager Jess Anscombe

Australian employers are racking up significant risk to their balance sheets by not taking proactive measures against annual leave hoarding.

Statistics from Roy Morgan Research show Australians have accrued nearly 134 million days among the nation's 8.5 million-strong paid workforce with more than one third holding in excess of four weeks annual leave.

The disproportionately high percentage of workers holding that amount poses an especially high financial risk to employers, particularly in the SME sector.

Recent news of a Northern Territory public servant accumulating more than two years of annual leave, an estimated liability of almost $400,000, highlighted the financial risk of unchecked hoarding.

Corporate Traveller General Manager Jess Anscombe said the key to counteracting hoarding was increasing workplace engagement for taking leave and promoting the health and well-being benefits.

"Many of our customers have worked with us to parlay the business travel partnership into a parallel leisure solution that helps minimise leave balances," she said.

"Utilising the existing relationship helps keep the issue top of mind around the office and reduces the barrier for employees to make bookings by increasing the convenience factor."

Ms Anscombe said this leveraging approach had fast become a more popular option for businesses with Corporate Traveller's integrated leisure travel service, Travel Club, experiencing increases of 44 per cent in enquiry and 27 per cent in sales in the last financial year.

Many employers are also using incentive and rewards tactics to boost employee motivation to take leave.

"Professional travel managers can be used as a resource for annual leave enticements like travel vouchers, gift cards or holiday discounts," Ms Anscombe said.

"They can also assist in setting up a regular flow of alerts to employees for special industry deals or exclusive workplace promotions around Christmas, Easter and school holidays."


About Corporate Traveller

Corporate Traveller has been a leading supplier of business travel solutions for more than 20 years and services more than 6,500 clients throughout Australia.  As part of the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), Corporate Traveller is backed by the global network of one of the world's largest travel agencies.

2017 Minister's Student Achiever Award Winners

The State's next generation of world-class tourism professionals were honoured today in a special ceremony at NSW Parliament House to mark the 2017 Minister's Student Achiever Awards.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events and Assistant Minister for Skills Adam Marshall congratulated 14 students on their academic achievements in tourism and hospitality studies.

"The students honoured today represent the future of tourism and hospitality, and embody the commitment to excellence that is critical to the continued success of our industry," Mr Marshall said.

"The NSW Government is committed to growing the NSW visitor economy to ensure we remain the number one State for tourism and major events in Australia. This means the creation of more jobs across the industry and more opportunities for future generations of tourism industry professionals."

Mr Marshall also congratulated the tertiary institutions on their continued support of tourism and hospitality related studies.

"It is encouraging to see the wide cross-section of institutions represented by these students and I thank them for their continued commitment to fostering our future industry leaders."

Since 1990, the NSW Government has acknowledged academically high achieving tourism and hospitality students at an annual Minister's Student Achievers Awards ceremony.

Students from NSW education institutions offering degrees, diplomas and certificate courses in tourism and hospitality studies can be nominated for the Awards.

To be eligible, students must have completed one year of their studies and be a resident of NSW.


2017 Award recipients

Melissa Allcroft
Bachelor of Management (Tourism)
University of Technology Sydney

Yani Dawe
Bachelor of Business (Tourism and Hospitality Management)
Southern Cross University, Lismore Campus

Kye Dewberry
Cerfiticate III in Tourism
TAFE NSW, Bega Campus

David Hickson
Diploma of Hospitality Management
TAFE NSW, Ultimo

Dominic May
Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Tourism Management)
University of Newcastle

Chelsea McKay
Bachelor of Hospitality
International College of Management, Manly

Harry Mitchell
Bachelor of Business (Hotel Management)
The Hotel School, Sydney

Michael Santo Monteleone
Bachelor of Business (International Hotel and Resort Management)
Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School at Torrens University Australia

Titania Oberg
Bachelor of Tourism Management
Western Sydney University

Janelle Rooney
Diploma of Travel and Tourism Management
TAFE NSW, Ourimbah

Jenny Scoufis
Certificate IV in Patisserie
TAFE NSW, Loftus

Rebekah Sharpe
Bachelor of Business (Tourism Management)
William Blue College of Hospitality Management

Cindy Sneddon
Diploma of Hospitality Management
Barrington Training Services, Clubs NSW, Riverina

Jordan Stanford
Advanced Diploma of Event Management
TAFE NSW, Northern Beaches

FCM launches next generation technology suite, FCM Connect

A streamlined travel program to provide a better and more efficient business travel experience has been launched by FCM Travel Solutions to ensure that travellers, bookers and managers have greater connectivity.

FCM Connect is an integrated global technology platform which gives clients access to multiple tools that deliver on their travel program.

"We believe technology should move our customers forward, and the next generation release of our technology offering, FCM Connect, is designed to do just that," said Marcus Eklund, Global Brand Leader, FCM Travel Solutions.

"We're excited to launch FCM Connect to existing and new customers. Our improved solution has been designed for the modern Traveller, Booker and Program Manager and addresses their desire to be more connected to the entire booking, travel and management journey. Being better connected helps travellers and bookers feel in control and gives our program managers the visibility they need to elevate their travel programs," Mr Eklund said.

At the core of the solution is the FCM Connect HUB; a single-sign-on platform that gives customers one simple connection point to all of FCM's leading technology tools including Analytics, Approve, Booking, Secure, Expense and Mobile. HUB is easily customisable for each company in both configuration of tools used and interface design.


Image: The FCM Connect Hub connects users to FCM's full technology suite

"Through extensive customer consultation and product development, we've refined a world-class, end-to-end solution that ensures all of our customer's travel needs are organised – from pre-trip approval to booking, to traveller tracking and reporting that provides complete visibility of spend," Mr Eklund said.

FCM Connect was previewed to clients and industry earlier in the year at the London Business Travel Show and Global Business Travel Association Conference in Sydney, Australia. It is being progressively rolled out and will be available to customers from early next year.

FCM Connect will support organisations across a full range of travel program deliverables including:

• Global, regional or national fulfilment
  
• Cost reduction strategies
  
• Data compliance
  
• Duty of care responsibilities.

For more information on FCM Connect visit www.fcmtravel.com.au