Part 1: The risk of working overseas

It is this changing landscape which is increasing the challenges for business travellers in terms of differing customs, health standards and crime rates of the countries they may visit.

Not being prepared for any eventuality can, in some cases, mean life or death, no matter how many trips an employee has under his or her belt. What if a business traveller has not been given proper advice on how to prepare for a foreign assignment, or does not know how to avoid any pitfalls during their time abroad? Clearly such oversights could put the person at risk.

Of course there are other concerns about sending an employee abroad, such as ensuring they abide by local laws and do not damage the reputation of their company, whether inside or outside business hours.

And of course it may not only be the employee who could be at risk, but also the employer. Indeed the question of when an employer's legal and contractual responsibility to an employee and vice versa is in force - 24 hours a day or just in scheduled working hours – is a moot point when it comes to business travel, according to legal experts.

Matthew Davies, of leading City of London law firm Fox Williams, said it depended on the conditions on the ground and the work being carried out by the posted staff member.

"Employees can be sent to more than 200 countries, all of which are going to have their local laws. These might impact on how much concern a UK employer might have about the activities outside work of an ex-pat employee.

"In Saudi Arabia, being caught drinking and driving could be very serious. It might not matter so much in more liberal countries. Employers need to carefully consider such local factors and the profile of an employee before establishing their mutual contractual responsibilities."

With this in mind, we examine how to better prepare for business travel abroad and examine some of the common pitfalls experienced by those operating overseas...