What are the norms regarding driving to work travel?

[Anonymous]

Stop for a minute. Do you want to drive or fly? Don’t worry about what they assume or want it whatever. Ask for what you want, in a nice way. If you want to drive or they ask you to drive, then yes, of course it’s reasonable to ask for a hotel and mileage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would tell them you will be late arriving for the conference. I wouldn’t give up a night of sleep and being short on sleep and driving is a bad combination. Tell them you will leave by 7 and should be there by 1 assuming the drive goes well.

Don’t do this.
Just ask for the hotel.

[Anonymous]

In my company, the norm would be:

Tuesday: work half day, then drive to conference site and overnight in hotel
Wednesday: conference, hotel
Thursday: conference, hotel
Friday: drive home, no work

Reimbursement for mileage and meals covered from Tuesday dinner through Friday breakfast

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my company, the norm would be:

Tuesday: work half day, then drive to conference site and overnight in hotel
Wednesday: conference, hotel
Thursday: conference, hotel
Friday: drive home, no work

Reimbursement for mileage and meals covered from Tuesday dinner through Friday breakfast

This sounds very reasonable. You could also consider not working Tuesday morning, but bring your laptop computer with you and work at the hotel for an hour or two on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, if you have work that can be done remotely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone else is spread out across the country. They definitely know I'm 5 hours away because I live in the city.

You live in the same city as HQ/conference location, but it will take you 5 hours?

[Anonymous]

We have to have pre-approval for work-related travel that includes an overnight stay, regardless of whether the destination is "in-state". I would ask about their travel policy, is the expectation you will get reimbursed for the mileage on your vehicle? In our case, there is a perimeter from our HQ for overnight stays. If you want to stay because there is an early morning - that's fine - but they won't cover the cost. There is also a loose rule about travel after the meeting is finished - if you are on the west coast and the only way home is a red eye - they will cover the cost for an additional night at the hotel. Otherwise if you stay it's your personal expense. For us there is flexibility but it revolves around whether its covered by their expense or my personal expense. And we have folks that look at our expense reports - so we have to stick with the travel rules.

[Anonymous]

This is unreasonable. It's irrelevant that this job is new. If they want you there, they fly you down like everyone else, put you up like everyone else etc.

[Anonymous]

The norm at my workplace would be to fly instead of drive 5.5 hrs.

If one was driving 5.5 hrs for business reasons (transporting something, etc.) hotels would be provided at their conveience and they would drive primarily during business hours or have informal comp time.

[Anonymous]

At my workplace, 4-5 hrs is about the breakpoint between driving and flying. We might drive farther if the city pair doesn't have any good flight options, but that's rare.

But assuming driving is a requirement, I think for the conference schedule you described, we would expect two nights of hotel. Up the person to choose between:
A) Drive Tuesday (maybe leaving work a little early to start the drive, but assume you'll get there in the evening), work in the hotel Weds morning, attend conference Weds & Thurs, drive home Thursday night. Would probably be OK to come in a little late on Friday, but not take the whole day off.
B) Normal workday on Tuesday. Leave early Weds morning, attend the conference Weds & Thurs, then spend Thurs night in a hotel. Drive back on Friday, spending a few hours Friday afternoon either in the office or catching up from home.

Either way, you have one really long day, two nights in the hotel, and slightly less time in the office before or after the conference.

[Anonymous]

How many miles of driving? Are you estimating 5.5 hours with stops and stuff and it’s really a shorter drive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would let your boss know that you will leave and drive a couple of hours on Wednesday evening so you need a hotel to complete the drive on Thursday morning. Also, explain that you need a hotel on Thursday as well, because you will be home mid day Friday.

Personally, I think it’s outrageous to have to drive 10-11 hours in 2 days, in addition to attending a conference.

Are YOU ok with this driving travel expectation? Why should you have to drive during your personal time on Thursday night? What if you are tired and not able to safely drive after attending a conference all day and sleeping away from home the night before.

+1.

Does your boss expect you to drive starting at 4:30am to start work later that day? OR are you putting that expectation on yourself? Do those hours count as work hours?

I also don't consider 5.5 hours a reasonable distance unless you are going for the week.

[Anonymous]

Also, is your boss driving to this conference?

[Anonymous]

Fly and you get two days off as travel days

[Anonymous]

Find out where the company keeps the policies. Then search for travel and see what it says.

[Anonymous]

How big is the company? If 100+ employees or revenue in millions, ask for hotels. If small or midsize, don’t be penny wise and pound foolish in a new job.