Is it unprofessional to extend a business trip for personal reasons?

[Anonymous]

Going to San Francisco in April. Never been and always wanted to take a trip with DH. Is it considered unprofessional/undesirable to add on days to extend the trip? Would love to have DH fly up when the business side of things conclude.

[Anonymous]

I guess it would depend on the culture of your company, but I have done this. I don't see the problem.

[Anonymous]

As long as that part is coming out of your pocket, i don't see the problem. My friend's husband travels frequently and before kids she used to meet up with him for a few days if he was in a cool city.

[Anonymous]

Before I had kids and was travelling internationally a lot - I did this all of the time. Would take a couple days of leave after my work assignment concluded to see more of the country I was visiting. Obviously, did not seek reimbursement for hotels or meals after my assignment was over.

[Anonymous]

I suppose it depends on your industry and other responsibilities.

I do it all the time. But I work in international development, and we're pretty serious about work-life balance. Usually, a big trip is the culmination of lots of work. So when it's over, it's time to kick back, and where better to do it than in some exotic locale on the other side of the world... since I'm in the neighborhood. Most of my most amazing vacations (Galapagos, safaris, pyramids) have been at the tail end of a work trip.

But when I was in sales, a big trip was the START of the busy period-- you had to come straight home and start working on all the new clients and orders and leads.

[Anonymous]

I think take time afterwords is the key, when the work is done. Wouldn't take the fun time before the work was addressed.

[Anonymous]

We've done it. No eyebrows raised, no one cared, but we didn't take any extra days off work; just tacked on a weekend here and there. This kind of arrangement is perfectly acceptable many places (law firms, etc.) where there is frequent travel with many employees coming and going. No one gives a flip. Don't know how it would fly (ha!) at government agencies or small companies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've done it. No eyebrows raised, no one cared, but we didn't take any extra days off work; just tacked on a weekend here and there. This kind of arrangement is perfectly acceptable many places (law firms, etc.) where there is frequent travel with many employees coming and going. No one gives a flip. Don't know how it would fly (ha!) at government agencies or small companies.

or at least made yourself available and all that jazz if you were going to do it. I've never seen anyone take an issue with it.

[Anonymous]

Even if you work for the government it's ok, so long as your return flight isn't more expensive by flying back on a later date.

[Anonymous]

Ive done this, too, but usually when the trip ended on a friday and stayed the weekend (and of course, like others said, once the work assignment was over I didnt seek reimbursement for the extra days). I haven't ever taken days off work for the extra time, but I don't think my job would have a problem if I did. So far they havent sent me anywhere exciting enough to stay longer than the weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if you work for the government it's ok, so long as your return flight isn't more expensive by flying back on a later date.

14:27 (2) here- this is the same for us (private) even if my return trip is more expensive I just have to pay the difference.

[Anonymous]

It's fine, but just make sure your company isn't paying for anything but your return flight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if you work for the government it's ok, so long as your return flight isn't more expensive by flying back on a later date.

Be very careful if you work for the government, especially if you are in a visible role. When my DH worked for the govt we ended up deciding it was just too risky to add anything on or for me to join him on business trips.

My busienss was much more flexible and he was able to tag along for those on occasion, always on our dime of course.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I don't work for the govt.

DH would arrive after a conference.

[Anonymous]

I would have no hesitation doing so. It's been the norm at lots of places I have worked, to the point where I've had co-workers plan week-long safaris together at the end of certain trips. Just make sure you're not inconveniencing your place of work in any way (i.e. financially or in taking time off at a bad time for your organization).

The only time it's been an issue for us was trying to extend a government trip right after a big scandal broke at my husband's agency (and thus they were scrutinizing anything with the slightest hint of impropriety).