Clarification sought about what to do if there are accommodation booking issues at night.
A reporter was concerned about short-notice hotel bookings. They cited a time when it led to inadequate room arrangements.
When staff arrived at the hotel arranged, they were told to go to a second hotel 20 minutes away. Staff then found that the booked rooms were unsuitable, without enough beds. They felt it wasn’t appropriate to contact company channels at that time of night, and drove home. This meant they’d exceeded fatigue limits and were at risk of road accidents. Booking hotels late could cause this again.
The reporter wanted this occasion investigated, and clarification on what to do if there are issues at night.
Vital Human Resources (Vital) said it plans shifts and rosters within the rules and standards of client fatigue management. It fully endorses booking accommodation to reduce fatigue risk, and generally uses a third-party online booking agent. This has been effective to secure accommodation at short notice. There was a problem this time, without the required suitability and number of rooms being confirmed.
If rooms are needed at short notice in future, Vital will book directly with the hotel or accommodation. Employees can use the on-call facility to book a hotel if something is unsuitable.