Hypothetical question 😉 . If we’re required to travel with work from time to time, which wouldn’t be a problem. I was wondering though, is there a legal notice requirement that we need to be given prior to traveling with work?

Say a colleague was emailed the day before, saying they are required for 3-5 nights away from the next day at the other end of the country. In the past this could be more than that (both in time away and distance). Is this legal, but ethically dubious?

I would have thought with private life (house, family, clubs, volunteering, pets) that there maybe more than 12hr notice required prior to a trip? Or is this just wishful thinking?

Also, what if the contract just states ‘travel maybe required from time to time’, but it doesn’t go into any more detail.

I think the individual would have to show some balls and just say no on the grounds of unreasonably short notice.

Even if they were able to go (and chose to), they should make a case for any additional childcare costs etc.

But if there’s no difficulty in actually meeting the request, it might a be a good opportunity to bank some goodwill, and go anyway.

Really it depends on each persons circumstances, but in the simplest case when to go would be very difficult and inconvenient at short notice, I’d just say no and let the management decide if they want to note that as a disciplinary or pragmatic refusal.

(and if they choose the former, then Id be putting extra shine on my CV by the end of the day)

Really tricky one. Any more detail in your staff hanbook / policies and procedures?

My ( sort of informed) guess would be that it would be OK to travel but not to extend your working day unpaid and that working time directive applies to the travel time as do the various regs about working drivers ie rest times and so on.. Possible issues with discrimination over child / dependent adult care issues as well.

So if on Friday they tell you that on Monday you have to go to another site a long distance away and that you start there at 9 would be wrong but if you start your journey at 9 it would be OK and they pay for every hour you are working including travelling time plus a decent level of accommodation it would be OK

check the TUC website – its usually good for stuff like this and join a ruddy union!

Any more detail in your staff hanbook / policies and procedures?

What is at stake? You are employed to produce/deliver/achieve something, if that will all fall down if the trip isn’t done then it’s probably worth doing. (your job is dependant on the company succeeding.) If it’s a cock up and needs covering will somebody do the same for you?

What will you miss if you go? What will you gain?

Been travelling for work since I was 20, it’s something you can work with and good to do some days.

I think it’s between the individual and his manager.

I’ve travelled to India for a week with just a few days notice; because I wanted to travel, the project was interesting and challenging and it helped my career progression.

If none of that applies to your situation then you can always decline siting short notice and existing family commitments as justification.

I have had to go on an international trip at 3 hours notice, ie leave now. We generally kept our passports in the office. TBH with a small family it was one of the reasons I changed jobs.

Interesting thoughts!
It genuinely doesn’t apply to me, but I’ve got a friend that this has happened to repeatedly recently. It just got me thinking what procedures and process are.

It sounds like it’s a grey area and that employers are allowed to pick their own process.

Any more detail in your staff hanbook / policies and procedures?

I’ve read through this and it essentially states ‘maybe required to travel as required by the business’, that’s all.

I have had to go on an international trip at 3 hours notice, ie leave now.

Similar for my brother-in-law – in his last job it wasn’t unusual for him to be called late on a Sunday night to be told a taxi would be picking him up in the early hours of Monday morning. Crazy.

I have had to go on an international trip at 3 hours notice, ie leave now

plus a detour via a the docs for a bunch of jabs..

One aspect would be is this usual for that job? – in which case its probably OK but if its an unusual event the manager is relying on goodwill because its not a normal part of their job

also is the short notice because of events ie machinery breakdown thats costing the company ££££ or is the short notice because of management inefficiency?

Any more detail in your staff hanbook / policies and procedures?

I’ve read through this and it essentially states ‘maybe required to travel as required by the business’, that’s all.[/quote]
Sorry to say but if your looking in the handbook it’s not for you and it’s not going to work. It’s hard to explain and it really means knowing the value of the work you do and it’s role in keeping you in a job. If management can’t work their way out of a wet paper bag it’s a bit of a different story.

Mike – you think holding your employer to agreed terms and conditions is wrong?

short answer is no . The long answer would be fact and industry specific . If what is being asked falls outside the industry norm and is being imposed with out notice on pain of sanction then it may amount to constructive dismissal.

tjagain – Member
Mike – you think holding your employer to agreed terms and conditions is wrong?

I think putting a project in jeopardy because of what is says in the handbook is short sighted. The employer can right what they want in the handbook and you can ask for what you want (days off/TOIL/bonus) for compromising on them. Most places it will come down to a short notice travel request is business critical, if it’s not you should be able to bounce it quite easily by knowing whats going on and providing a reasoned argument. Though when you get into travel with work some things are different and it requires a different mindset from both employer and employee.

Got to love the STW travel extraordinaires

Counter-question, what are the company like around leave requests? If an employee is expected to be flexible in that way, I’d expect similar flexibility in return.

TJ makes a good point also, in that it’d depend on whether it was exceptional or routine. Dropping everything to respond to a crisis is one thing, doing it every other week due to someone’s piss poor planning is something else. The first is “travel may be required from time time time,” then second is “taking the piss” unless it’s actually your job (field engineer, truck driver).

It can be problematic. I’ve spent the last 10 years in jobs that where I spend almost all of my time with clients, on their site. My current contract says I “may be required to work on a temporary or permanent basis at other locations in the United Kingdom, prior notification of which will be afforded to you”. No indication of how much notice that would be.

It’s the sort of thing that isn’t a problem until it is. I used to spend a lot of time away from home, long travel on a Monday, live in a hotel, get home Friday evening. When I joined my current employer, almost all of their clients were within comfortable travel of home (partly why I joined) but that’s been changing a lot. Have been fortunate that most of the time it’s an easy commute into London and I’m home every evening.

I’m resigning myself to the fact that with a young family and wanting a home life outside of work, I could at any time be asked to do a project with travel I’d find unreasonable. If that happened, and my employer couldn’t/wouldn’t consider alternatives, I’d be looking for a new job sharpish.

For me it’s usually a part of the job.

It genuinely doesn’t apply to me, but I’ve got a friend that this has happened to repeatedly recently. It just got me thinking what procedures and process are.

For them, it’s a part of the job and you get use to it – obviously it is also to be used as a part of any salary/appraisal negotiations 🙂

The phrase “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute a major domestic upheaval on my part” can come in useful.

If only to make you feel better.

I don’t really want to disclose any more specific info, but really appreciate the info given above. I’ll talk to my friend.