Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Sure, in fact I just got back from a week in Las Vegas on business. They paid all expenses but I got the same usual pay. Seems to me that the opportunity for the fun of exploring other cities/states at no cost makes it well worth it for the employee that has to travel.
When you are a SINGLE in your twenties this type of job is very appealing. However when it is a married Man?Woman required to hit the road a PERK turns into WORK very quickly. Employers know this and use it to their advantage.
This has kept the OTR Trucking companies profitable for decades.
Six weeks straight spent in a mid-grade hotel is not a vacation!
Depending on your situation, you may have negotiating power in this situation.
I had a recent project requiring 3 months straight at a customer site 100 miles away from home, M-F, 9-5 plus some weekend work. They figured I could live out of a Hampton Inn 4 nights a week. I objected.
I had them rent me a furnished apartment and parking spot downtown, even though I drove home some weekends. Much less stressful than moving in and out of a hotel all the time, much healthier than eating out every meal 5 days a week.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brownbagg
but when you travel you get per diem, so that some extra cash, our is $62 a day
That varies. I get mileage and actual expenses (receipt required). So no extra cash, other than the money I don't spend on groceries, utility bills (reduced power consumption when not home) and whatever margin there is between the mileage reimbursement and my actual auto maintenance and depreciation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tnff
Yes, that is the way it works. Doesn't seem very right, but yep, all those hours in the air and in hotels are off the clock so to speak.
I work in IT, and IMHO that is not how it works for exempt staff in my industry. Time spent getting from place to place for work (especially time in the air) is at least matched with equal (off the books) comp time -- fly home from a customer on Saturday, Monday is paid time off to make up for it.
Given the situation of 12 weeks out of the country with just one weekend home in the middle, I would ask for concessions in acknowledgement of the extreme impact on my personal and social life. Maybe a real apartment leased for the duration and upgrading to business class on all the long-haul flights?
I've been told so by my son, and my spouse. My son has been asked to spend the summer traveling through the country on behalf of his company. They will pay all his expenses, of course. But despite giving up the entirety of his day, he'll still get the same salary, which is based on the 8 hour day he works locally.
Is that truly the way it works?
It works this way until your son decides to change it. Or stick with it.
Thats the "way it works" because we have become a nation of sheep and ALLOW the companies to abuse us endlessly. Until the american worker finally grows a pair again, this will continue to happen.
Its amazing how ball-less the average american has become in standing up to corrupt corporate leadership as opposed to eras prior to this.
Employees stood up for themselves before. Now the vast majority are corporate apologists chasing a dangled carrot in the hopes of getting some great raise and promotion which NEVER comes to fruition
Cultural norms truly have changed. Back in my dad's day men loved business travel specifically because they were AWAY from their wives and kids. Now adult males' mothers are complaining about it online? My mom has had no idea what I have been doing since I was about 12 years old...
While a heavy travel schedule and working onsite with clients for weeks at a time is no fun, I think being an overprotective mom is quite shortsighted. Yes, your son is not partying every night and doesn't get to spend an year "finding himself" in Europe (on your dime), but he is building valuable work skills and a career that will lead him to highly paid jobs in the future.
Who is being overprotective? I asked a question no more, no less. I have never, nor will I, interfere in the lives of my adult sons.
At any rate, he leaves in a week. He'll see if this is a good move by the end of the summer I guess.
When I traveled as a salaried employee I was still paid overtime. The clock started ticking the moment I left my house to go to the airport, and it stopped when I arrived at the hotel at my destination.
No idea if they still do this now, but at the time, I enjoyed traveling, because I would basically pick up an extra 10 hrs or so that they paid me based on what my annual salary broke down to as an hourly rate. They also paid all expenses. Could spend $20 for breakfast, $30 for lunch, and $50 for dinner. I hardly ever ate breakfast, never spent $30 for lunch, so my dinners out were always quite good.
Actually that's kind of what I do. Pay is very good and all expenses compensated. Many perks with free travel, airline/hotel points, seeing new places, meeting new people, making connections, etc.
Keep in mind it's a life for a specific individual. Showing up to the same office every day would kill me but it would be good for a family man. Family man in the travel business, that's his fault, not the job.
Actually that's kind of what I do. Pay is very good and all expenses compensated. Many perks with free travel, airline/hotel points, seeing new places, meeting new people, making connections, etc.
Keep in mind it's a life for a specific individual. Showing up to the same office every day would kill me but it would be good for a family man. Family man in the travel business, that's his fault, not the job.
He's definitely not a family man yet. I asked him today if he would get credit for the weekends away as PTO, and he said no, but he had a company credit card, and would be free to travel. So, although he's already been across the country, he's viewing this as an opportunity to check out places he hasn't seen.
But, it wasn't an option as far as taking on the travel went. He was asked, but only as a courtesy. He knew he wasn't really being given a choice if he wanted to remain with the company, despite being hired as a production manager for the plant. He's working it out, he'll be fine.
The original post doesn't provide much information about what the travel involves. Is the OP's son learning more about the company, and can he use that experience to advance himself? (or maybe better prepare himself for a new role elsewhere?)Or is the whole thing just another exercise in sales and promotion? with little experience and proof of achievements when his next performance and salary review comes around?
But if he's still a young man and enjoys the travel for the sake of rounding out, I'd say "Make hay while the sun shines"; I'm glad I did.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Six weeks straight spent in a mid-grade hotel is not a vacation!
