Corporate Travel [corporate travel policy discussion at interview?]
May 30, 2019, 2:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Cork, Ireland
Programs: BAEC Gold, TK Elite, HH Diamond
Posts: 259
Corporate Travel [corporate travel policy discussion at interview?]
Thinking of switching jobs, and there is one on the horizon with potentially a lot of travel. Business is engineering/pharmaceutical consultancy. How do I bring up the class of travel without sounding like a plonker? potentially a lot of travel to US and SEA from IE. Sounds to me like they might be a Y or W only type of crowd. I'd be okay with W, not sure about Y. Also, they probably would let me book the travel myself (full flex fares seem standard now), so push comes to shove, I would be getting decent avios/TPs
How do you bring up the travel policy?
How do you bring up the travel policy?
May 30, 2019, 2:53 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
If there is definitely a lot of travel expected, would Y be a deal breaker for you? Or would you still take the job?
If it’s a deal breaker then there’s probably no harm in asking “since I’ll be expected to travel monthly, can I ask what the travel policy is?”
If it’s a deal breaker then there’s probably no harm in asking “since I’ll be expected to travel monthly, can I ask what the travel policy is?”
May 30, 2019, 2:58 am
#3
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
I think it's entirely pertinent to ask about travel policy in an interview. I don't think that it's the place to start laying down conditions unless they are truly showstoppers. My approach would be to ask what the policy is, ask any clarifying questions ("so does that apply regardless of frequency of travel?","does the policy apply to all roles?" etc) but not get drawn into whether I think that's acceptable or not.
Gather all the information about the job, including travel policy, reflect on it away from the interview and then if things get serious you can start to negotiate.
Gather all the information about the job, including travel policy, reflect on it away from the interview and then if things get serious you can start to negotiate.
May 30, 2019, 3:00 am
#4
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
The other consideration is that travel policies can and do change. Most of my clients are large globals, and in recent years almost all of them have gone from J to Y for long haul travel for most grades. So whatever their policy today, unless you can negotiate it into your contract, it may well change.
May 30, 2019, 3:06 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Cork, Ireland
Programs: BAEC Gold, TK Elite, HH Diamond
Posts: 259
Short term I won't have a problem with Y, if the role is exactly what I want (still exploring this and this comes first of course), but long term I don't know, specially on overnight flights from west coast, even these days I book my holidays in W so i can UUA into J
I will probably say something along the lines of "Since I understand there will be a lot of travel involved, I was wondering what the travel and short term relocation policy is for the company" and then if its Y only, I will try and get it up to W, and bring up productivity while traveling as a lot of airlines don't offer wifi in the air or on the ground if you're travelling down the back, and we should minimize billable unproductive hours to the client.
I will probably say something along the lines of "Since I understand there will be a lot of travel involved, I was wondering what the travel and short term relocation policy is for the company" and then if its Y only, I will try and get it up to W, and bring up productivity while traveling as a lot of airlines don't offer wifi in the air or on the ground if you're travelling down the back, and we should minimize billable unproductive hours to the client.
May 30, 2019, 3:33 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Cork, Ireland
Programs: BAEC Gold, TK Elite, HH Diamond
Posts: 259
It's a very small outfit ¬ 75 people, but I'll do a quick search, and I'll bring up my current employer's policy which is W for 6hr+, and J for mid level management (of which I am not one)
May 30, 2019, 3:35 am
#8
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA GGLfL, WoH Lifetime Globalist, HH Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 711
Short term I won't have a problem with Y, if the role is exactly what I want (still exploring this and this comes first of course), but long term I don't know, specially on overnight flights from west coast, even these days I book my holidays in W so i can UUA into J
I will probably say something along the lines of "Since I understand there will be a lot of travel involved, I was wondering what the travel and short term relocation policy is for the company" and then if its Y only, I will try and get it up to W, and bring up productivity while traveling as a lot of airlines don't offer wifi in the air or on the ground if you're travelling down the back, and we should minimize billable unproductive hours to the client.
I will probably say something along the lines of "Since I understand there will be a lot of travel involved, I was wondering what the travel and short term relocation policy is for the company" and then if its Y only, I will try and get it up to W, and bring up productivity while traveling as a lot of airlines don't offer wifi in the air or on the ground if you're travelling down the back, and we should minimize billable unproductive hours to the client.
Doc Copper
May 30, 2019, 3:41 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: London
Programs: Mucci Blue, BAEC Gold, Blockbuster Video card
Posts: 1,378
Personally I would be using the gambit of 'if you want me to travel regularly then that's absolutely fine, but I want to be arriving back refreshed enough to be with my family when I am not travelling, especially if the travel part will be eating into family time to begin with, and also to be rested and productive when I am working away'.
Of course, I don't know what your family circumstances are, but both the need to be rested when away, and the need to not be a zombie when you get back home are, to me, completely reasonable requests to make.
And frankly any firm that had a huge issue with you bringing it up would, for me, almost be a dealbreaker itself.
Often (although maybe moreso at larger firms) there's an HR interview that comes near the end of the process (ie when the hiring stakeholders have essentially made their choice, or at least got down to a short shortlist) to cover just these kinds of points (ie non functional stuff - benefits package, cultural fit, etc etc). If there's one of those then that's probably an ideal time to broach the subject.
Of course, I don't know what your family circumstances are, but both the need to be rested when away, and the need to not be a zombie when you get back home are, to me, completely reasonable requests to make.
And frankly any firm that had a huge issue with you bringing it up would, for me, almost be a dealbreaker itself.
Often (although maybe moreso at larger firms) there's an HR interview that comes near the end of the process (ie when the hiring stakeholders have essentially made their choice, or at least got down to a short shortlist) to cover just these kinds of points (ie non functional stuff - benefits package, cultural fit, etc etc). If there's one of those then that's probably an ideal time to broach the subject.
May 30, 2019, 3:53 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Cork, Ireland
Programs: BAEC Gold, TK Elite, HH Diamond
Posts: 259
The above implies, given your stated travel pattern, that you will be working on o/night flights. Is that really the case? I know people do but that's usually an exception. Also minimising billable hours might be in the client's favour, but not necessarily that of your potential employer.
Doc Copper
Doc Copper
Well in the industry, travel hours are billable whichever way you take it, and no they are definitely not in the client's interest, however, if you're the interface between the client and the engineering firm etc, it's expected this will occur, and it's in both your interest and the client interest to maximize productivity, so if you're billing hours and not doing any work it doesn't work, of course, a few hours of "free work" is expected, so if you're not working on the plane you might have to catch up in your own time and not bill it, which isn't ideal either.
Edit: misread the night flights bit, no definitely not, but that would still be billable, day flights you might get some work done, I usually believe about 1/4 of a day flight can be productive, so if its a 10 hr flight, you might get 2.5 hrs work done
Personally I would be using the gambit of 'if you want me to travel regularly then that's absolutely fine, but I want to be arriving back refreshed enough to be with my family when I am not travelling, especially if the travel part will be eating into family time to begin with, and also to be rested and productive when I am working away'.
Of course, I don't know what your family circumstances are, but both the need to be rested when away, and the need to not be a zombie when you get back home are, to me, completely reasonable requests to make.
And frankly any firm that had a huge issue with you bringing it up would, for me, almost be a dealbreaker itself.
Often (although maybe moreso at larger firms) there's an HR interview that comes near the end of the process (ie when the hiring stakeholders have essentially made their choice, or at least got down to a short shortlist) to cover just these kinds of points (ie non functional stuff - benefits package, cultural fit, etc etc). If there's one of those then that's probably an ideal time to broach the subject.
Of course, I don't know what your family circumstances are, but both the need to be rested when away, and the need to not be a zombie when you get back home are, to me, completely reasonable requests to make.
And frankly any firm that had a huge issue with you bringing it up would, for me, almost be a dealbreaker itself.
Often (although maybe moreso at larger firms) there's an HR interview that comes near the end of the process (ie when the hiring stakeholders have essentially made their choice, or at least got down to a short shortlist) to cover just these kinds of points (ie non functional stuff - benefits package, cultural fit, etc etc). If there's one of those then that's probably an ideal time to broach the subject.
May 30, 2019, 4:26 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA GGLfL, WoH Lifetime Globalist, HH Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 711
Hey Doc,
Well in the industry, travel hours are billable whichever way you take it, and no they are definitely not in the client's interest, however, if you're the interface between the client and the engineering firm etc, it's expected this will occur, and it's in both your interest and the client interest to maximize productivity, so if you're billing hours and not doing any work it doesn't work, of course, a few hours of "free work" is expected, so if you're not working on the plane you might have to catch up in your own time and not bill it, which isn't ideal either.
Edit: misread the night flights bit, no definitely not, but that would still be billable, day flights you might get some work done, I usually believe about 1/4 of a day flight can be productive, so if its a 10 hr flight, you might get 2.5 hrs
Well in the industry, travel hours are billable whichever way you take it, and no they are definitely not in the client's interest, however, if you're the interface between the client and the engineering firm etc, it's expected this will occur, and it's in both your interest and the client interest to maximize productivity, so if you're billing hours and not doing any work it doesn't work, of course, a few hours of "free work" is expected, so if you're not working on the plane you might have to catch up in your own time and not bill it, which isn't ideal either.
Edit: misread the night flights bit, no definitely not, but that would still be billable, day flights you might get some work done, I usually believe about 1/4 of a day flight can be productive, so if its a 10 hr flight, you might get 2.5 hrs
If you do want to work on an o/night flight then this can be done in Y as well as any other class of travel. On the other hand, if the prospective employer expects its employees to be hitting the ground running on arrival, then travel class should be at least W. However, if the prospective company's blanket travel policy is Y, then that argument may not work in your favour. And, 75 employees is not a very small company!
Doc Copper
May 30, 2019, 4:33 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Cork, Ireland
Programs: BAEC Gold, TK Elite, HH Diamond
Posts: 259
I don't believe that a potential employer would accept the possibility of working on an o/night flight as reason to upgrade the company travel policy, mainly on the basis of being an unrealistic request. However, if you do want to work on an o/night flight then this can be done in Y as well as any other class of travel. On the other hand, if you [the prospective employer] expect me to be hitting the ground running when I land, then it should be W rather than Y. However, if the prospective company's blanket travel policy is Y, then that argument may not work in your favour. And, 75 employees is not a very small company!
Doc Copper
Doc Copper
I see where you're coming from I think it was confusing the way I posted it, I don't think a lot of employers/teams know what times you're travelling, specially if you're working independently with the client a lot, nevertheless they expect the work to be done!, plus if you're working on multiple projects with multiple clients, none of them will know your travel patterns and work will have to be done. Generally your time is yours to manage.
May 30, 2019, 5:10 am
#14
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: BA GGL, CR
Posts: 193
As others have said, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to ask what the travel policy is, particularly if you phrase it in a general request to know all soft benefits - pensions, life assurance, gym membership etc.
I can’t imagine any reasonable employer would find that a problem. Whether you like the answer is a separate question of course!
I can’t imagine any reasonable employer would find that a problem. Whether you like the answer is a separate question of course!
May 30, 2019, 5:31 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA CCR/GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,483
Small companies may have a bit more flexibility than global Corporates. I’m the Head if HR for a company more than double the size than the one you’re talking about, but still an SME in some regards.
We treat employees as adults - for UK train travel you can go first class if it’s cheaper than an Anytime Standard ticket - I guess something similar could apply to air travel.
We treat employees as adults - for UK train travel you can go first class if it’s cheaper than an Anytime Standard ticket - I guess something similar could apply to air travel.