work and travel wikipedia english

What is work and travel? Work and Travel is a program that allows individuals, typically college students or recent graduates, to travel to another country for a short-term work experience. The program is typically designed to give participants the opportunity to work for a few months in order to finance their travels and cultural exchange experiences in the host country.

The Work and Travel program usually involves a few key elements:

• Obtaining a work visa or permit for the host country
• Finding temporary employment in the host country, typically in the hospitality, tourism, or service industries
• Accommodation arrangements, usually in shared housing with other program participants
• Opportunity to travel and explore the host country during free time

The program is a popular way for young people to gain valuable work experience, improve language skills, and experience new cultures while earning money to support their travels. The Work and Travel program is available in many countries around the world, but it is particularly popular in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

What is the purpose of work and travel?

The purpose of work and travel programs is to provide participants with an opportunity to gain valuable international work experience, while also experiencing new cultures and languages. The program is typically designed for young people who are still in school or have recently graduated and want to take a gap year to travel, work and improve their language skills.

There are several benefits of participating in a work and travel program:

Gaining international work experience: Participants have the opportunity to work in different industries, gain new skills, and learn about different working cultures. This experience can be valuable for future job opportunities and personal growth.

Improving language skills: Living and working in a foreign country provides participants with a chance to practice and improve their language skills, which can be valuable in both personal and professional contexts.

Cultural exchange: Participants can immerse themselves in the local culture and learn about the traditions, customs, and way of life of the host country.

Personal growth: Living and working in a foreign country can be a challenging and rewarding experience, which can help participants develop independence, confidence, and adaptability.

Overall, work and travel programs provide participants with an opportunity to gain valuable international experience while also having fun and exploring new parts of the world.

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What is the benefit of work and travel program?

International work experience: Participants have the opportunity to gain work experience in a foreign country, which can help them develop new skills and learn about different working cultures. This experience can be valuable for future job opportunities and personal growth.

Cultural exchange: Participants can immerse themselves in the local culture and learn about the traditions, customs, and way of life of the host country. This can help them develop a greater appreciation for diversity and different perspectives.

Language skills: Living and working in a foreign country provides participants with a chance to practice and improve their language skills, which can be valuable in both personal and professional contexts.

Networking: Participants have the opportunity to meet and network with people from around the world, which can lead to valuable personal and professional connections.

Travel opportunities: Work and travel programs provide participants with the opportunity to explore new parts of the world and experience different cultures, which can be a fun and rewarding experience.

Overall, work and travel programs can provide participants with a unique and valuable experience that can help them develop new skills, learn about different cultures, and grow both personally and professionally.

How to do work and travel?

To participate in a work and travel program, you will typically need to follow these steps:

Research different programs: Start by researching different work and travel programs that are available in your country of interest. Look for programs that meet your needs, such as duration, cost, and job opportunities.

Meet the eligibility requirements: Each program has its own eligibility requirements, which can include age, language skills, academic standing, and other criteria. Make sure you meet the requirements before applying.

Apply for the program: Once you have found a program that you are interested in and meet the eligibility requirements, you will need to apply. The application process may include submitting your resume, filling out an application form, and attending an interview.

Obtain a visa or work permit: Depending on the program and the host country, you may need to obtain a visa or work permit before you can participate in the program. Make sure you understand the visa requirements and apply in a timely manner.

Secure housing and transportation: Once you have been accepted into the program, you will need to make arrangements for housing and transportation. Many programs offer assistance with finding shared housing, but you may also need to arrange for your own transportation.

Find a job: Once you arrive in the host country, you will need to find a job that meets the requirements of the program. Look for jobs in the hospitality, tourism, or service industries, as these are typically the types of jobs that are available for work and travel program participants.

Enjoy your experience: Once you have found a job and settled into your housing, you can start enjoying your work and travel experience. Take advantage of the opportunity to explore a new country, meet new people, and develop new skills.

Keep in mind that the specific steps and requirements for participating in a work and travel program may vary depending on the program and the host country. It is important to do your research and carefully follow the instructions provided by the program organizers.

How long does work and travel last?

The length of a work and travel program can vary depending on the specific program and the participant’s preferences. Generally, work and travel programs last between 3 and 12 months, with many programs lasting around 4 to 6 months.

Some programs may offer more flexible timelines, allowing participants to work for shorter or longer periods of time depending on their needs and preferences. In some cases, participants may be able to extend their program beyond the initial length if they wish to continue working and traveling.

The length of the program may also depend on the type of visa or work permit that is obtained. Some visas may have a maximum duration of 6 months, while others may allow participants to stay in the host country for up to a year or more.

It is important to research the specific program and visa requirements to determine the available program lengths and make an informed decision based on your needs and preferences.

How much can earn by work and travel program?

The amount of money that you can earn through a work and travel program can vary widely depending on several factors, including the type of job, the location, and the hours worked. In general, work and travel program jobs typically pay minimum wage or slightly above, with some jobs offering the opportunity for tips or bonuses.

In the United States, for example, work and travel program participants may earn between $10 and $15 per hour, depending on the type of job and location. Participants working in high-tourist areas or jobs that require specialized skills may be able to earn more.

It is important to note that the purpose of a work and travel program is not to earn a significant amount of money, but rather to gain valuable international work experience and have the opportunity to travel and explore a new culture. Many participants use the money they earn to cover living expenses and travel costs, but it is not typically enough to cover all expenses.

It is important to research the cost of living in the host country and determine your expected expenses and budget accordingly.

What countries have work and travel program?

Work and travel programs are available in many countries around the world. Some of the most popular countries for work and travel programs include:

Australia: Australia offers a popular work and travel program known as the Working Holiday Visa. This program allows young people from eligible countries to work and travel in Australia for up to a year.

Canada: The International Experience Canada program offers work permits for young people from eligible countries to work in Canada for up to two years.

United States: The J-1 Visa program offers a range of work and travel opportunities for young people, including summer work travel, internship, and training programs.

New Zealand: New Zealand offers a Working Holiday Visa that allows young people from eligible countries to work and travel in New Zealand for up to a year.

United Kingdom: The Youth Mobility Scheme (formerly known as the Working Holiday Visa) allows young people from eligible countries to work and travel in the UK for up to two years.

Other countries that offer work and travel programs include France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, and many more. The specific requirements and opportunities for each program will vary depending on the country and program type. It is important to research the requirements and opportunities for each program before applying.

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Why go on a Work and Travel Program?

There are several reasons why someone might choose to go on a work and travel program, including:

Gain international work experience: Work and travel programs offer an opportunity to gain valuable work experience in a foreign country. This experience can help participants develop new skills and learn about different working cultures, which can be valuable for future job opportunities.

Cultural exchange: Living and working in a foreign country can provide participants with a unique opportunity to experience different cultures and ways of life. This can lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of diversity and different perspectives.

Improve language skills: Work and travel programs provide an opportunity to practice and improve language skills in a real-world setting. This can be valuable for personal and professional development.

Personal growth: Living and working in a foreign country can be a challenging and rewarding experience that can help participants develop independence, confidence, and adaptability. This can be valuable for personal growth and development.

Travel and exploration: Work and travel programs provide an opportunity to explore new parts of the world and have new experiences. Participants can take advantage of their time off to travel and explore the host country and nearby areas.

Overall, work and travel programs offer a unique opportunity to gain valuable international experience while also having fun and exploring new parts of the world. They can be a great option for young people who want to take a gap year or break from school to gain new experiences and develop new skills.

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What Is a Work and Travel Program? Explained by Remote Year

11. Nov. 2021

Work and travel programs are relatively new, so we don’t blame you for wanting to get to know them a bit better before diving in. In fact, when we first started Remote Year, work and travel programs weren’t really a thing .

In 2014, Greg Caplan and Sam Pessin - the cofounders of Remote Year - were looking for a way to continue building their careers while traveling the world. They knew that people were the most creative and productive when they were inspired by their surroundings and that, with a great WiFi connection, great work could be done from anywhere.

We’ve led the way by ushering in a remote work lifestyle that doesn’t separate work from “real life” - it brings the two together so that each can be pursued to its full potential. That’s what we believe a work and travel program should do.

What is a Work and Travel Program?

Let’s start with a basic definition. A work and travel program is an organized experience in which participants have an opportunity to keep their jobs and work remotely while traveling the world.

Simple, right? Now, let’s shake things up.

Work and travel programs vary based on different factors including the length of the program , the number of people in each group, what types of people form the community, where the program travels to , what kinds of resources participants have access to and so on.

Remote working

One thing a work and travel program is not: a job provider. Participants typically come to the program with a full-time position, freelance clients or their own business in hand, ready to take on the next step in their career while traveling the world.

That’s what a work and travel program looks like on paper. What that description doesn’t tell you is how life-changing, earth-shaking and goosebump-giving a work and travel program can be. So, if you don’t know what jobs you can do from anywhere yet and you want to know how to get a remote job , don’t worry, we got you back.

Interested in learning more about Remote Year and how a work and travel program could fit into your lifestyle?   Click here to get started .

Why go on a Work and Travel Program?

We get asked this question a lot. While everyone seems to have a different answer , each response typically revolves around one of three main topics:

Freedom and Purpose

Hands down, one of the main reasons that people join a work and travel program is because they are searching for a larger sense of freedom and purpose. Whether that means the ability to set your own schedule or adding a bit of adventure to a role that is already remote, a work and travel program can provide the structure and support you need to continue pursuing your passions, both personal and professional. Learn how to become a digital nomad and open your mind to the idea that frequent exposure to new surroundings will result in creativity, inspiration and a renewed commitment to your goals - and then get out there and achieve them. Open your mind to the idea that frequent exposure to new surroundings will result in creativity, inspiration and a renewed commitment to your goals - and then get out there and achieve them.

Ever heard of the term “comfort zone”?It’s not a part of our vocabulary. A work and travel program will push you to discover parts of your personality that haven’t been stimulated in years. Instead of heading to happy hour after work with your typical crew, you’ll be inspired to expand your network and prospect new clients - or employees if you own your own business. In fact, many employees use work and travel programs as an opportunity to get to know a country and culture that their company is considering as a potential market.

The people who go on work and travel programs have an opportunity to live in each city that they travel to as a local. On Remote Year, we even have on-the-ground City Teams that curate immersive cultural events and provide personal recommendations on where to eat, work and explore.

Beyond the new relationships that you will create throughout the year, travel in itself will force you to grow in ways that you might not expect.  Everyday tasks like shopping for groceries and making dinner reservations will take a bit of extra effort as you adjust to cultural norms in a new country. When you decide to let go of the comforts that have been holding you back, you enter the growth zone and find ways to succeed in any environment.

Hands-down, one of the major reasons why people join a work and travel program is because they are craving community. There is nothing quite like the bond that you will develop with each of your fellow travelers after living, working and exploring together for an entire year. These are the people who will start as friends and become more like family as you work together, laugh together and support each other through rough patches. With so many talented, motivated people inspiring you to reach the next level in your career, you’ll feel empowered to crush your goals and encourage others in their endeavors.

You have the unique ability to pick the brains of professionals from different industries, engage a test audience for your new business idea and, just think, you’ll finally have a few friends to drag along to that meetup you’ve been wanting to attend! Whether you are a full-time employee at a company, a freelancer or own your own company, you’ll find that group meals, jam sessions, local experiences and late nights in the workspace will lead to a diverse professional network that will last a lifetime.

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Business travel

• 1 High-travel jobs
• 2 Get around
• 4.1 Data security
• 4.2 Before you travel
• 4.3 On the road
• 5 Stay safe
• 6 Stay healthy

Travel for secular "pleasurable" purposes is a fairly recent concept. For most of human history, people either traveled for religious reasons or out of economic necessity, hence business travel may well be the oldest form of travel. This article deals with this concept.

High-travel jobs [ edit ]

This list contains jobs which intend the employee to be based in their home country, in contrast to working abroad (e.g. digital nomads who work outside their home country, may periodically relocate, but the job itself doesn't entail a lot of travelling)

• Sales is the classic high-travel occupation, so much so that "traveling salesman" has become a bit of a cliché. Consulting can also mean high travel, but on a somewhat less intense scale, as individual consulting gigs can sometimes last weeks or months and can easily turn into long-distance commuting. In general, any very specialized job, where customers are few but can afford to (or have no choice but to) fly in experts will tend to mean high travel.
• Transportation workers such as truck drivers, bus drivers, locomotive engineers and ship crews see many places through work. The airline industry also offers good travel opportunities. Aside from the obvious pilots and cabin staff, maintenance crew and sales & marketing people may also fly extensively, and even desk job employees can often fly for free or very cheaply using space-available seats. The quality of accommodation varies a lot, and free time on a destination might be short.
• Academia , including research, studies and teaching, also offers international travel. Some academic subjects that naturally contain travel for field research , are aerospace engineering, anthropology, astronomy , archaeology , biology (including ornithology ), civil engineering, geology, geography, linguistics and meteorology. Scientists are usually the only people who go to next-to-impossible destinations , such as exclusion zones . In addition, researchers also occasionally travel to attend academic conferences . See studying abroad and science tourism .
• Language experts can often get temporary jobs or assignments abroad, as interpreters, translators and teachers (but they may also be stationed abroad for long periods, and not effectively travel much). See teaching English .
• Military personnel may get to work abroad, though this depends on the country and your position. "Join the Navy, See the World" is a classic slogan. Going abroad in uniform does not necessarily mean going to war ; many missions abroad are for training, observation, logistics, or peacekeeping.
• Religious personnel such as chaplains and missionaries typically travel to places far from home. The assignment is usually combined with humanitarian work and proselytizing.
• Journalism (especially foreign correspondence and photojournalism ) and writing might include travel. This is however a high-competition business with poor job security.
• Doctors and nurses , and other health personnel can work on board ships, or in isolated communities. In some countries a mandatory stint in some far-off region is actually a required part of your job-training.
• Domestic work is a common migrant job; while no formal skills are required, it is usually poorly paid. While some domestic workers are hired locally, others are recruited internationally, and yet others follow their employer around. Au pair service is an interesting way for young people to see a foreign country; usually without a proper wage.
• Entertainers frequently travel for work, such as actors traveling to movie sets on location or to attend film festivals, as well as touring musicians.

Get around [ edit ]

Business travellers can in many cases afford high-cost options, for a speedy and comfortable journey. See transportation for comparison between vehicles.

• For a VIP in a hurry, general aviation such as a business jet or a helicopter might save some time.
• Rail travel gives a fast and comfortable ride on distances up to 1,000 km (620 mi), if available. First class (or in some cases even a specially named class "above first") is often aimed at business travelers. Level of first-class standard varies between operators, but usually allows better dining and paperwork on board than the airlines. Furthermore Wifi service on trains is becoming more and more common among major long distance operators. This means you can get more work done in the same travel time than on a plane. Many rail operators offer silent compartments, which is good if you want to work concentrated and in silence. However, do keep in mind that talking on your phone is a major no-no in silent compartments. High speed trains tend to beat planes in market share if their travel time is 3:30 h or less. DB (among others) has recognized this and offers an "ICE Sprinter" – aimed at business travellers – on select routes that makes limited or no intermediate stops to reach or beat this time.
• Public transportation rarely guarantees good comfort, but can be practical and affordable in a big city.
• Driving makes a traveller independent, but also tired. Usually the only practical option in the countryside, and if you don't bring your own, renting a car can be an option. Driving and parking in an unfamiliar city can however be difficult. In addition, things like disorderly traffic or inability to read street signs in the local script may make hiring a car with a driver the best alternative.
• Taxis and rideshares provide door-to-door service, in the best case with a helpful and well-informed driver. Can be everything from a tuk-tuk to a stretch limousine, depending on budget.
• Bus travel is not always the fastest road transport; some long-range buses are however fast and comfortable enough to appeal also to those with a good budget. They can be a good option in some countries such as Japan, Mexico and Sweden, where good quality buses from airports stop directly at major hotels, or for onward travel to another city or town from the airport. If your business operates on the proverbial shoestring (or if you are subject to the oft-quoted sadistic expense account manager) you might find yourself on a bus more often than not.

Sleep [ edit ]

While business travellers tend to stay at hotels , some organizations offer private accommodation in different sizes and comfort levels. Workers who spend much time at a destination might consider renting or buying a second home .

Cope [ edit ]

Business travellers might often find themselves on their own. See travelling alone .

Data security [ edit ]

If your laptop, smartphone or usb drive is stolen or your phone calls or data connections are monitored, you may leak business secrets or confidential information (human rights activists may be targeted). As the risks may be bigger when travelling, and certainly are more difficult to control abroad, you should check what procedures to follow with the relevant department of your employer. If you do not have such resources, make sure you understand the most important risks yourself.

The worst problems may not come from criminals but from authorities (unless you trust they are not involved in industrial espionage, and that they do not use confidential information they recover). To lessen the problem of border authorities possibly wanting to get access to your devices, you might want to travel with a "clean" laptop, downloading any secret documents you need afterwards, via a secure connection (VPN, SSH or similar). You may still need your keys (e.g. to check there is no man-in-the-middle when making secure connections), but at least some of them are public, and they are smaller anyway, easier to hide in innocent looking places. You might have to check that the computer has not been tampered with (a bootable read-only medium can confirm integrity unless also the BIOS is "upgraded"). If your destination country does not allow secure connections across the border, you have a problem. Before you return, upload and delete the sensitive information. Make sure the files are truly deleted, not only deleted from your view.

If your devices may be stolen by people interested in your secrets, any such information should be encrypted, so that it cannot be recovered without your passwords or keys (encrypted keys can be kept elsewhere so that you do not lose the information by forgetting your password). Check also the risk for unencrypted temporary files and paging areas. Encryption works best when your laptop or smartphone is turned entirely off (used content will be in cleartext in memory, and may be copied as such to the disk at hibernation).

If you are traveling with sensitive information, consider keeping your computers and any sensitive documents with you at all times. Locking them in a hotel safe provides only protection against thefts of opportunity. The hotel staff have master keys or master codes to open all the hotel safes in all the rooms. This is necessary for normal operations, in case a guest accidentally forgets the code or departs without remembering to empty the safe, but it means that your computers and other documents could be removed from the safe, copied, and returned there without your knowledge.

Few people know what information a smartphone keeps, so cleaning it for travel and restoring it across the border or when returning home might not be feasible. Instead bring a clean phone bought for the purpose, and copy just the information you need and are ready to leak from your ordinary phone.

Before you travel [ edit ]

• Find a good travel agent . Booking online can be cheap and easy, but making changes later can be difficult and expensive. A good travel agent or your company's travel provider can be worth their weight in gold when you need to react to changes.
• If you are a frequent business visitor of an APEC-participating country, consider apply for an APEC Business Travel Card , in which card holders are able to travel without visa to specified countries on your card and enjoy expedited border crossing.
• Have a packing routine . Invest in a good carry-on bag and learn to pack enough to survive a week with it. Figure out the optimal way to pack it, because when everything has its place, it's easy and fast to pack. If you often travel on short notice, consider keeping the bag packed and ready to go.
• Mileage, mileage, mileage . You probably know you can get miles from flying — but you can also get them from staying at hotels and renting cars, and if you pay by credit card, you can get more miles yet again. Familiarize yourself with the programs at places you visit regularly and work out how to maximize your benefit. Dedicated sites like FlyerTalk are useful for working out the loopholes and finding the latest promotions.

On the road [ edit ]

• Learn the language . Even a few words will smooth your way and you can pick up the survival-level basics of most languages in a few weeks if you take some time to study.
• Work out . Most business-level hotels have a gym and any hotel's front desk will be happy to advise you of a good jogging route nearby. In some places, Wikivoyage do have mentions about different parks that may be near your hotel, which can make for a good place to go jogging in. It's listed under "Do" or "See" in the destination article. If you are a member of a gym at home they may be part of a chain with multiple locations (24 Hour/California Fitness, Planet Fitness, LA Fitness/Esporta, Orange Theory, YMCA, YWCA etc) or affiliations (Gold's, etc) with other gyms in different locales. You may be able access an affiliated gym for free or for a low cost with your current gym membership. Ask before leaving home.
• Get out of the hotel . It's all too easy to sit in your hotel room, order overpriced room service, and grumble about how miserable the dump you're in is. Ask a local (or check Wikivoyage!) for a recommendation and go for dinner or a drink elsewhere (which may be less expensive than the hotel dining room, bar or room service) and sightsee.
• Find a local friend . The Internet is full of friend-finding and online dating services, and many people will gladly take a visitor for a tour of the sights, even if you're only in town for a day or two — just offer to return the favor when they come your way.

Stay safe [ edit ]

Business travellers may visit places that the average tourist could find dangerous. The general advice in Staying safe and Arriving in a new city still applies, only it's much more important for business travel: a scruffy backpacker may draw interest because he probably has a wad of cash stashed somewhere, but a guy in a suit toting a laptop case, speaking into his late-model cellphone while signing bills with his platinum credit card is a far more enticing target . Consider the following precautions:

• Pre-arrange your transportation . From the airport, hotel pickup services are safe and can often be expensed. Follow hotel or partner recommendations for local transportation.
• Meet-and-greet services can be worthwhile when traveling to dodgy locales, especially for the first time, so enquire discreetly at your hotel. For fees starting from US$50 or so, you'll be met at the plane door and whisked through immigration and customs with a minimum of hassle.
• Backup all your data. Before leaving, and frequently while on the road. Applies both to laptop and mobile/iPads/other gadgets with user data. Buying a replacement for hardware is frequently much easier than dealing with lost data.
• Be careful about sensitive data . It is an old truism, but true nonetheless: The weakest link in any security is a human being. If you happen to travel around with any type of storage device/paper with sensitive information on it – or a device with which you can access such information – this is most likely worth more than all your other possessions. Guard it accordingly. A cavalier attitude towards data security can get you fired or worse.

Stay healthy [ edit ]

Check your travel and health insurance before you go. It can cover travel-related illnesses, including treatment in other countries and medical evacuation. Many companies provide this to their employees as standard, but check nevertheless.

Visiting a new region or country may cause dietary reactions , either from different levels of sanitation or just your body adjusting to a new diet. Try getting accustomed to new food slowly over time, and avoid tap water as well as washed salads, especially in low-income countries.

Jet lag is a common side effect of business travel over different time zones. Allow some days to get used to the new time zone if possible (i.e. arrive Saturday morning for working on Monday). Avoid activities such as driving until you are well and fit.

Each country has different regulations regarding pharmacy drugs . For example it is very difficult to buy full-strength paracetamol (acetaminophen) or other pain killers from a pharmacy in China, requiring a time-consuming and expensive visit to a medical facility. German pharmacies will refuse an asthma inhaler without a prescription, even if you are gasping for breath. You can usually bring the basics in with you. Where Cannabis is legal for recreational or medicinal use, it is almost always not allowed for foreigners to partake, at least in theory.

See also [ edit ]

• Billionaires' Social Calendar
• Time management
• Working abroad

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This agency allows for an incredible exchange between travelers and hosts where they both get something. In my case, as a traveler, I get unique experiences, new people in my life, personal development, and more.

The platform is very organized and easy to read, which helps find the most suitable opportunities. But more importantly, the way that reviews are handled and that previous Worldpacker volunteers are listed on posts makes this website the most trustworthy one in my opinion, which for a solo female traveler is paramount.

As my first experience as a worldpacker, I wanted to do this more often, to travel, meet more and more people, learn about their culture and their ways of thinking. I recommend that everyone who wants to grow as a person and really wants to learn more about this world take part in volunteering. Volunteering is now my new hobby.

I recommend the site to all my friends; the idea of exchanging what you can is simply brilliant. I'm having the experience of my life through your site and I'm eternally grateful to have discovered it. A big dream is to be part of this, helping others to have experiences as good as the one I am having.

A great place to find different opportunities to meet new people, gain experiences whether in different languages or skill, just about a good site to be at for potential new places you may have not been in!

In my opinion, the best way to learn about ourselves and also about the world is through traveling. When combined with volunteering, it allows you to get an even deeper sense of the chosen place and experience the local way of life. It's also nice to be able to give something back in exchange for the amazing memories you make on the journey.

I believe that living the experience as a packer is something very rewarding and unprecedented. I certainly have a lot of good things to share with my friends and tell them about the experiences I have using this platform.

It is a very interesting way to get to know people, places, and have experiences that bring you closer to the realities of the people who live in the places you visit, being able to transform the places and live the experiences with your own body.

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Planning to Combine Business and Leisure Travel? You’re Not Alone.

As employees increasingly add leisure time to their business trips, companies are trying to figure out where their duty of care obligations begin and end.

Credit... Aart-Jan Venema

Supported by

By Amy Zipkin

• April 7, 2024

On a Sunday in late January, Melinda Buchmann, who lives in Florida and supervises client relations for RevShoppe, a 30-person remote company advising organizations on sales techniques and strategies, arrived in Banff, Alberta, to help set up a four-day company meeting.

The last day of the event, her husband, Josh, a director of strategic partnerships for the delivery company DoorDash , who also works remotely, joined her. They spent two leisurely days hiking in Banff National Park and visiting Lake Louise.

“I take advantage, because I don’t know when I’m going to return,” Ms. Buchmann said of the decision to combine downtime with a business trip.

As postpandemic work life has changed, and arrangements now include full-time office attendance as well as hybrid and remote work, so, too, has business travel. The phenomenon known as bleisure, or blended business and leisure travel, was initially embraced largely by digital nomads . But such combined travel is now also popular with people outside that group . Allied Market Research, a subsidiary of Allied Analytics, based in Portland, Ore., estimated that the bleisure travel market was $315.3 billion in 2022 and would reach $731.4 billion by 2032.

As employees increasingly add leisure time to their business trips, companies are struggling to determine where their legal obligation to protect employees from harm — their so-called duty of care — begins and ends. And workers may think that because their trip started with business, they will get all the help they need if something goes wrong on the leisure end. Instead, they should generally consider the leisure part of a trip as a regular vacation where they cover all expenses and contingencies.

Companies are responsible for knowing where their employees are during a business trip, covering expenses if an accident or emergency occurs, securing new lodging if a hotel is damaged, even swapping out a broken down rental car. Still, it’s not entirely clear if that coverage ends completely after the conference or the last client meeting.

Companies recognize that threats are increasing, said Robert Cole, senior research analyst focusing on lodging and leisure travel at Phocuswright, a market research company. They are trying to figure out how to take care of a valuable company resource, the employee, without leaving themselves open to financial risk or potential litigation.

“Crafting a comprehensive policy that balances business objectives, employee well-being and legal considerations can be challenging,” Nikolaos Gkolfinopoulos, head of tourism at ICF, a consulting and technology services company in Reston, Va., wrote in an email.

Employees may be on their own without realizing it and may be surprised by out-of-pocket expenses if they require hospital care abroad or evacuation, said Suzanne Morrow, chief executive of InsureMyTrip , an online insurance travel comparison site in Warwick, R.I.

Ms. Morrow said medical coverage provided by a company “is generally only for the dates of the actual business trip abroad.” If travelers are extending the trip for personal travel, she added, “they would want to secure emergency medical coverage for that additional time abroad.”

Employers and employees are left to figure out when the business portion of the trip ends and the leisure segment begins, a significant detail if an employee has a medical emergency. “Where does the corporation liability end?” said Kathy Bedell, senior vice president at BCD Travel, a travel management company.

Companies have varying policies to deal with the new travel amalgam. The chief executive of RevShoppe, Patricia McLaren, based in Austin, Texas, said the company provided flexible travel options and allowed employees to work anywhere they choose.

Even so, there are constraints. The company requires all employees, including executives, to sign liability and insurance waivers when they are on a voluntary company-sponsored trip, such as an off-site meeting. Such waivers typically place responsibility on employees for their own well-being. And if they bring someone, they are responsible for that person’s expenses.

Employees are responsible for requesting the paid time off and notifying their managers of their whereabouts, although that part is not a requirement. Managers have to ensure adequate staffing, Ms. McLaren said.

Elsewhere, employees may not bother to mention the leisure portion of their trip. Eliot Lees, a vice president and managing director at ICF, said he had been on trips as a child with his parents when they combined business and leisure. His parents were academics, who would piggyback vacations onto conferences.

Now he does the same. “I don’t think I ever asked for approval,” he said. (ICF has no formal business-leisure travel policy. It’s allowed as part of personal time off.) After a conference in the Netherlands last year, he spent four days hiking in the northern part of the country.

“I go anywhere, and take more risks than I should,” he said. He said he didn’t carry personal travel or accident insurance.

Any nonchalance may quickly evaporate if a threat emerges. Security experts say even low-risk locations can become high-risk for a few days or weeks of the year.

“Companies are concerned about losing visibility into a traveler’s whereabouts if they booked flights and hotels outside their corporate travel management company,” Benjamin Thorne, senior intelligence manager in London for Crisis24, a subsidiary of GardaWorld, wrote in an email. “The company may think the traveler is in one city when, in reality, they could have booked a holiday package to another nearby city. This lack of visibility by the company makes it difficult to support travelers when a disaster occurs.”

He also raised the possibility that “a traveler with bleisure travel reservations and expectations may find their work trip canceled due to changes in the risk environment or company policy, disrupting their leisure plans.”

Will a company step in off hours if there’s a problem? “That depends on how you are booked,” Mr. Cole, the senior research analyst at Phocuswright, said. A rule of thumb is the further you get from corporate control, the greater the gray area gets.

Half of GoldSpring Consulting’s clients take the responsibility for the entire trip, said Will Tate, a partner at the consultancy based in Cross Roads, Texas, and a certified public accountant. They don’t want the reputational risk. The other half say: “The business trip ended Friday. That’s when we end our duty of care.”

Some companies are trying to define and narrow the gray area. “If you are clearly on personal time, there is no legal requirement for your employer to provide for you,” said Nicole Page, a lawyer whose practice includes employment law at Reavis Page Jump in New York.

Uber provides employees with advisories before a trip, travel assessments, safety tips while traveling and emergency travel assistance, including medical aid, airport travel support, urgent and emergency assistance, and lost or stolen personal property insurance whether they are on business or pleasure travel or a combination.

And at DoorDash, Chris Cherry, head of global safety and security, wrote in an email that “while personal travel is not something we track, we have received requests to extend our travel support capabilities to personal travel.” Mr. Cherry said in those cases, the company has manually added employee leisure itineraries to its travel risk management system and “provided the same level of overwatch that we do for regular business travel.”

The Buchmanns plan to travel this month to Barcelona, Spain, for the McDonald’s Worldwide Convention. DoorDash will have a booth, and Mr. Buchmann will work on the exhibit floor and also entertain clients.

Ms. Buchmann will accompany him. She plans to go sightseeing in the morning, and work in the afternoons and evenings Barcelona time. She will also take three days of paid time off and has shared her plans with Ms. McLaren, the RevShoppe chief executive.

They will stay a day after the conference and plan to visit the Dalí Theater and Museum in Figueres. “I’m sure there will be no shortage of tapas and window shopping along way,” Mr. Buchmann said. He expects to be back at work the next Monday.

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The Worst Part of a Wall Street Career: A.I. tools can replace much of Wall Street’s entry-level white-collar work , raising tough questions about the future of finance.

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