Premiums for Work Related Travel?

elbarsal asks: "I was just wondering if there is any common thoughts on the mechanics of travelling for work. I work for an automation consulting company, and have been asked to move into an industry where the likely split for travel is nearly 100% time on the road (as opposed to my current 20%). What benefits / compensation / time off have other people received for living out of a suitcase for 6 months? What consideration for those folks (like me) who have finally settled in (bought a house, joined organized sports leagues, etc.) has been or should be shown? Life on the road is ok for about the first week. After that, I start to miss things like my favourite pub and going out after work on Fridays, instead of spending time in far-off airports. Any thoughts?"

Little to none

[Ratbert42]

Two companies ago I travelled up to 25% for a while. I think I got two comp days, one for staying on-site and working over a 3-day holiday weekend, and another after working from 10pm to 4am at one customer, flying to another customer site, and working there until 9pm that night and 11 hour days next 2 days. I just couldn't stay awake when I got home from that one.

The only direct benefit I can think of to a job requiring 100% travel is that you have a job. I imagine others would trade positions with you. With a young child, there's no way I could do it unless I was making about 50% more than I could otherwise. Without the kid though, I'd probably do it.

Make some deals with the company. One of my coworkers regularly got the company to fly his family out to a customer site if he stayed there over the weekend. Instead of paying his airfare to come home, they'd send his wife out there. They'd also get reduced ticket and hotel rates for staying over the weekend if they planned ahead.

On the other hand, you could start to live a double life. I worked one place where there were rumors about someone working sales for two companies at once. Also, most of those heavy travel guys I've worked with are always looking for their next ex-wife.

Make sure you have a laptop with a DVD or get an external. Sure beats staring at the wall when you're snowed in at Newark for two days. You can use one of those rent-by-mail DVD websites.

Take up some interesting hobby. Maybe ham radio (I regularly hear visiting hams chatting with locals from their hotels). Visit every Hooters in the region. Go see a home baseball game in every stadium. Learn more about airplanes and airports. Take up photography. Start writing letters/postcards to friends and family.

Of course, there's always porn.

Business travel

[StrangerFromThe Tave]

I traveled quite a bit for my employeer 10-12 years ago. I used to keep a bag packed for overnight so I could leave instantly when it was required. No comp time, no frequent flyer miles, I was even billed by my company if I watched a PPV movie. These days I'm a consultant and I bill the client for travel time and minimum hours. Works out pretty good when I've gone to Europe for meetings. Management knows that business travel sucks and if they aren't willing to pay extra for it, they are consciously ripping the employee off.

Can't answer the question, but ...

[Micah]

I love traveling -- even seeing new airports and cities. Unfortunately, most "geek" jobs don't require any travel. The farthest I've been paid to travel as an employed programmer is to a lumber mill a mile from our office.

I for one would gladly take a programming job that required 75% or even more travel. (If it involved Linux of course. :-) )

So what's the big deal? Why do others not like it? I can see how it would hurt a social life, but you ARE home sometimes, and it gives you more opportunities to meet "in real life" cyberbabes you meet on the Net. :-)

Re:Can't answer the question, but ...

[foilrat]

oh nellie...where to begin

I've been travelling fulltime for around 4 years, now, so I have a bit of insight into the process. I do technical consulting with Lawson-so it's big clients and lots of IT people.

First off, lemme address the "cyberbabes" you talked about.

Have you looked at the local IT departments? If I haven't been to one where I met an attractive, female techie yet. Most people there are 40+...easy. Now, I generally deal with the upper level techies, not the operators, help desk staff and what not, so that may have something to do with it.

Being on the road means you have no life. None. The only activity I can reasonably do is run. I haven't made any new friends since traveling, at those I'd call good friends, and have barely kept the one I have.

Traveling is overrated, and unless you're being WELL compensated for it, it's just not worth it.

This is, of course, all IMHO. I thought the same way you did when I first started, and the first six or so months were actually pretty cool. It gets old really fast, however.

david

Whatever works for you!

[stephend]

I honestly don't think that there's one answer. For me, I'm single, don't have a mortgage and like to travel. Therefore, my conditions are some compensation for missing out on my social life, decent accomodation and the time to be able to do some sight-seeing.

"Some compensation" varies depending on the location. I went to the United Arab Emirates a while ago, and I wanted a decent per diem for that as there's not much to do there(!). But on a trip to my university town I only asked for my meals/accomodation paid for.

I like to travel and have to ties, so I'm cheap! If I had a family I'd probably just say "no" unless it was just a couple of days here and there (I don't think any amount of money can compensate for that 'face time').

Depends on the Company

[BSDevil]

My father worked for several years in a position where he was required to be in Germmany four days a week (we are resident in the UK). He would have to fly out at the begining of the week and come back home at the end - about an hour-and-a-half flight either way. So what did he get for doing that for two and a half years straght? First off, he got to keep any and all Frequent Flyer miles he accumulated. That means that he's now in the top Star Alliance category and has a huge number of both miles and upgrade certificates. This makes it much easier for us (as a family) to go on holiday when he's got time off.

Secondly, he gets a good deal of flexibility in terms of what he flies. Solong as he gets there for a meeting at a certain time on Monday, the company dosen't care what airline he flies. Sometime he picks the flight for the convenience, somtimes for the miles, sometimes because he missed both flights listed above. He also (contractually) gets a certain amnount of flexibility in his travelling. For example, every once-in-a-while he can call in and say he dosne't wanna fly on Monday (if we have an event or somhthing) so they let him go out on Tuesday. The most important bit, however, is having a comfortable place to be when you're away. I'm not sure if this applies to you (as I do't know if you're going to the same place or different ones) but he (and the other people that did the Germany-London routine) made the company lease an apartement for them. It was a nice apartement with lotsa restaurants around it and an individual bedroom for each person that did the routine. This way, he had to carry no baggage between the UK and Germany. It also let them all have the impression of going "home," despite the fact that this home was a different home. He (and everyone else) left several sets of clothes and suits in the apartement, and had a laundry service come each week.

In effect, he turned a weekly travel into an hour-and-a-half bus ride to another apartement. Oh, and the Company paid for all phone calls from the apartment and his cellphone bill (which was tri-band GSM so we could call him anywhere). I'm not sure how applicable this is for you (again, I'm not sure your situation) but this worked for him.

Re:Depends on the Company

[elbarsal]

Well, I'd be looking at six months straight spent in either Indianapolis, Chicago, or Kansas City (at least that is what I've been told) when I'm based out of a city near Toronto, Ontario. I'd be flying out Monday mornings and back Friday.

I am used to some travel (about one week in 4) but I have done two months straight before, and it does get hard. I do have to think that it would really depend on the city and life in that city - I'm sure I could handle six months in a place like Montreal or Chicago, but I've never been to Indianapolis (and, I don't mean to offend, but I spent a lot of time in Fort Wayne, and didn't enjoy that) or KC.

I know that I would get a bit of a premium for the disruption in my life (I'm really getting nicely settled into my new house) and that I wouldn't have to pay for food / accomodation at the customer site. I do have to wonder how much longer I can handle consulting, though.

Thanks for your comments,

Ed

75% Travel...

[bcarlson]

I have only done the 75% travel thing, and I am single. I did it for a year and a half, and the main things for me were: Lots of unscheduled time off(Both on the road and at home), huge $$, and 4 weeks vacation the 1st year. I liked it, but I am horribly sick of flying!! Try to drive if at all possible... it's a beautiful world, why not see some of it on the company's dime?