Business travel is not merely about coordinating transport and accommodation. Every professional trip requires appropriate standards of rest , safety , comfort , operational continuity and location in areas that are suitable for work, particularly when the stay extends over several days or weeks.
In this context, accommodation is no longer a purely logistical decision; it becomes part of the company’s responsibility towards its travelling employees . Choosing the right solution helps reduce incidents, support productivity and ensure a more stable, efficient experience that is aligned with both the employee’s needs and the organisation’s requirements.
This responsibility is known as duty of care. In this article, we will explore what it means, why it is becoming increasingly relevant in corporate travel management, and how Apartool ’s corporate apartments help strengthen a strategy focused on care, safety and wellbeing for employees travelling for work.
What is duty of care? In a professional context, this term refers to a company’s obligation to take reasonable measures to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees . This also applies when they are away from home and travelling for work .
When applied to corporate accommodation, duty of care means that a company should not simply book “whatever is available”. It must assess whether the accommodation is appropriate for the destination ; in other words, whether it is located in a safe, well-connected area that is suitable for business stays. The length of the stay, the traveller’s profile and the foreseeable risks associated with the surrounding environment should also be taken into account.
All of this has an impact on factors such as location , security , support , privacy and amenities .
A new priority for companies Duty of care has become increasingly important because corporate travel is now more complex . There is greater international mobility, more medium- and long-term stays, distributed teams and growing attention to factors that were previously overlooked, from burnout to multicultural awareness .
In addition, companies are no longer assessed solely on their operational efficiency , but also on how they look after their people. In a context where employee experience plays a key role in attracting and retaining talent, well-managed corporate housing becomes a visible part of that commitment.
This is also accompanied by a growing need for traceability . It is no longer enough to say that travellers are being cared for. Companies must be able to demonstrate, through KPIs , that they have criteria, processes and decisions in place that are consistent with that protection.
Legal requirements When a company refers to duty of care, it is not only addressing an internal best practice. It is also operating within a regulatory framework focused on the prevention of risks and the protection of employees . This framework should be taken into account in order to understand what responsibilities exist and how they translate into the management of professional stays.
Regulation
Scope
What it establishes
Application to accommodation
Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989
European Union
Establishes the general principles of prevention, risk assessment, information, training and preventive organisation under the responsibility of the employer.
Indicates that protection should also take into account the risks associated with travel and the stay itself.
Law 31/1995 of 8 November on the Prevention of Occupational Risks
Spain
Recognises workers’ right to effective protection and establishes the employer’s duty to guarantee health and safety in all work-related matters.
Reinforces the need for accommodation choices to be based on preventive criteria, not solely on economic or operational considerations.
Royal Decree 39/1997 of 17 January, approving the Regulation on Prevention Services
Spain
Develops the previous law and regulates how risk assessment, preventive planning and prevention services must be organised.
Provides the operational approach: processes, criteria, responsibilities and traceability.
What does this mean in practice? If we translate this legal framework into concrete actions for companies , we arrive at the following checklist:
Assess the risks associated with the destination, the type of stay and the neighbourhood or area.Define minimum safety and wellbeing criteria for the accommodation. Work with controlled and traceable booking channels. Ensure the ability to respond to incidents during the stay. Document measures and decisions in order to evidence compliance with the duty of protection.The role of accommodation Corporate apartments fit particularly well within this strategy because they offer a more liveable, stable environment that is better aligned with the needs of a professional stay. Compared with a hotel room , they provide more space, greater privacy and a routine that is closer to everyday life, as well as greater flexibility when selecting a safe location.
This has a clear impact on wellbeing. Being able to cook , rest in a separate space, work in reasonable comfort and reduce constant exposure to busy communal areas improves the stay experience and helps reduce the strain of extended business travel.
They also add value from a control perspective. When apartments are managed within a structured corporate framework, it becomes easier to apply consistent criteria for location, safety, equipment and support. This strengthens the consistency of duty of care and makes it easier to demonstrate that the company has taken reasonable measures .
Apartool: your partner in strengthening duty of care Managing duty of care in accommodation becomes much more manageable when the entire operation is handled through a single platform and a clear model .
Apartool offers fully equipped corporate apartments that are ready to move into , with utilities included, a fully fitted kitchen, furniture, household essentials and high-speed internet connection. This means employees can settle in easily upon arrival, maintain a stable routine from day one and extend their stay in a sustainable way over time.
From a duty of care perspective, there are three particularly valuable elements in Apartool’s model:
Control and traceability of bookings : all accommodation requests go through the same platform, making it possible to know who is staying where, for how long and under what conditions. This helps avoid fragmented bookings through non-corporate channels.Stays adapted to work : Apartool provides homes designed for professional use, located in safe neighbourhoods and equipped with work areas, high-speed internet connection and services tailored to medium- and long-term stays, so employees do not have to rely on improvised solutions.International coverage with consistent criteria : the same model is applied across different destinations, making it easier for travel policies to include clear accommodation criteria without having to redefine them city by city. In practice, this enables companies to integrate corporate apartments into their mobility policy as a standard option , aligned with risk prevention and with the experience they want to offer each relocated employee.
For Travel Managers , ensuring quality accommodation means having greater control over each trip, reducing incidents during the stay and making sure that every booking meets the safety, location and quality standards defined by the company. For Procurement teams , it means working with reliable providers, clear conditions and centralised processes that help optimise costs, avoid deviations and reduce the financial impact of a poor accommodation experience. For Human Resources teams, taking care of accommodation means taking direct care of people. A well-located, fully equipped apartment adapted to a temporary stay helps employees maintain their routine, improves rest and allows them to focus on their project without adding unnecessary stress to their relocation. That is why corporate apartments should not be seen solely as an alternative to hotels . They are a solution designed to support professionals during medium-term stays, offering more space , autonomy , privacy and stability . Ultimately, they are a tangible way to turn duty of care into a real and measurable experience.
FAQs about duty of care in corporate housing What does duty of care mean for accommodation in business travel? It means selecting accommodation that helps reduce foreseeable risks to the employee’s health, safety and wellbeing, while doing so according to clear, documented criteria that are consistent with the company’s travel policy.
How can I check whether accommodation meets duty of care requirements? The most effective approach is to work with predefined, verifiable criteria. These may include location in a safe, well-connected area that is suitable for work; security measures; support in the event of incidents; habitability standards; and the ability to provide documentation or traceability for the accommodation booked.
Why do corporate apartments make it easier to comply with duty of care? Because they provide a more stable environment that is better adapted to the employee’s everyday life. When they are also booked through a professional provider, it becomes easier to apply consistent criteria for safety, comfort and control.
What risks arise when employees book accommodation independently? The main issue is the loss of visibility. The company may no longer know where the employee is staying, whether the environment is suitable or whether minimum guarantees are in place in the event of an incident. This makes both response and evidence of the duty of protection more difficult.
In addition, this type of booking can generate extra costs at the end of the stay, such as deposits, additional utility charges or unexpected expenses. There may also be no guarantee of a 24/7 emergency service from the accommodation manager, which can leave the travelling professional without a quick response to any incident during their stay.
How does Apartool help strengthen duty of care in corporate housing? Apartool helps centralise, standardise and provide traceability in the management of corporate housing. This reduces fragmentation, improves control over stays and offers apartments prepared to better meet the real needs of professional travellers.