I’ve been asked to go and do a week’s work overseas which is pretty cool. But I’ve been given a weeks notice. Is that acceptable would you say?

My contract states that foreign travel may be involved but nothing about how much time I get to prepare!

a weeks work is not much, I wouldn’t expect to have to give you too much notice.

I get 12 hours sometimes, a week is s real luxury.

I’d take a common sense approach. If it interferes with your plans, don’t go. If you are free, go but tell them that you will need more notice next time.
I really wouldn’t care what my boss considered “too much notice”. It’s not the distance which matters, but a weeks notice for a week away is cheeky.

how much notice do you feel acceptable and did you see it coming – ie you knew one of the team would be going ?

i can see trips away coming a mile off but usually get 12/24 hours official notice on who exactlys going – usually for a month away.

Depends if you have dependants? if not then a week is a lifetime to sort things out. I generally pack the morning I fly

There’s no good reason why anyone needs to go – that’s the real frustration. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve nothingagainstgoing, it’s more an issue with sorting childcare and the like

How’s about the night before’s notice to head to that there Europe.. T’is what I get, though to be fair I’m there and back within the day.

😛

If it is an issue, tell them you can’t go, explain why and try to establish some ground rules for future requests.

A weeks notice for a week away is a bit cheeky if you are not a regular traveler (ie, if it isn’t the norm in your job)

I’d be a bit miffed if that was put upon me, but my job isn’t particularly reactive.
However we have a contract to support RN ships, which could require us to send an Engineer anywhere in the world at 48 hours notice, the guys are aware of this and understand it is part of the job.

Friend once got an hours notice she was going to Afghanistan, but she was military and living on base doing her time anyway

Was your trip out of the blue or likely to happen at some point?

I sometimes spend time away but always with more than a weeks notice, usually a month
As you say its the childcare which is the biggie

On the other hand if the beers cheap, the ridings good, the locals are fun and you get a slack fortnight when you return then its not all bad 🙂

I’m sure I read somewhere that when it comes to taking holiday you are only required to give as much notice as you are going to take time off, eg one weeks notice to take one week off. So, it seems sensible for it to work in the other direction as well.

If you are aware that some work away is required with your job a week’s notice is fine.
If you had a month’s notice the childcare would still need sorting.
You’re only away for a week. Enjoy living on the company credit card for that time.

Depends on the nature of your work I reckon.

A week’s notice is quite ample unless you have plans/committments at home that you can’t work around.
I used to regularly get asked to go away for a few days (to Europe) with a day or two notice.
Most times it was OK, occassionally it was not OK as I already had plans and work were always understanding of that.
It’s when things always have to bend your way and never the company’s way that I tend to dig my heels in and request more notice.

generally it depends how you get on with your boss, normally you should be able to discuss this sort of thing. It is only a week (says someone who has spent most of the last 13 years on the road) make some calls and see what you can sort out for childcare and get back to the boss ASAP or let them know now that you need things to sort out.

Stumpy01.

Nail on the head.

What wrecker said
If foreign travel is a big/regular part of your job a then short notice of say a week is fine IMHO
If it is something you need to do say every year or even less frequently then more notice is required than one week as clearly you are not prepared for it at the drop of a hat

Establish some ground rules and the best way is , as stumpy notes some give and take from both sides.

Enjoy living on the company credit card for that time.

Depends where you’re sent, what you’re doing, what you’re missing…

that’s generous – we have to give one week’s notice for a day’s holiday, one month’s notice for a week off, two months for for two weeks and so on.

Ideally I’d expect the same kind of advance notice in return, but then I’m primarily desk-based. I’m not even allowed downstairs unless I’m brewing up 😉

A day would be my limit on acceptability – other than that MTFU, what’s is issue, if you don’t need a visa?

and jabs…

I once knocked back a 1 week notice to the middle east by producing the suggested inoculation fact sheet 🙂

but after that MTFU and get the bike boxed up, had 3 weekends in Rotorua of my last months trips

Well, I don’t know about you but I have committments outside of work like regular training sessions. I don’t mind going away as long as I can rearrange, but 24 hours notice might be a bit short. In pook’s case a week’s notice might give him problems arranging childcare and so on?

I once got a call from my boss whilst I was on the last day of my holiday, asking if I could go to Italy for a couple of weeks to work, leaving the next day. I ended up staying for 6 months.
I wouldn’t agree to do that now I’m a Dad.

People are putting less and less things in contracts these days. So in order to fight anything you have to argue about what ‘reasonable’ means.

committments outside of work like regular training sessions

I’m not sure those type of commitments would wash with most employers.
take your trainers with you.

Well, I don’t know about you but I have committments outside of work like regular training sessions. I don’t mind going away as long as I can rearrange, but 24 hours notice might be a bit short. In pook’s case a week’s notice might give him problems arranging childcare and so on?

My contract states that foreign travel may be involved but nothing about how much time I get to prepare!

In Pooks case I would have asked in the interview/day 1.
Honestly it’s amazing what you can organise in a week, it’s more amazing what you ca do in a day when you have to. If my job (which all bar 2 have done) involve travel then it involves travel.

konabunny – Member

Depends where you’re sent, what you’re doing, what you’re missing…

But surely he knew this before he accepted the job?

I don’t think the rest of the team would want to travel that far for an evening training session 😉

can you not video-conference them in?

Well, I don’t know about you but I have committments outside of work like regular training sessions. I don’t mind going away as long as I can rearrange, but 24 hours notice might be a bit short. In pook’s case a week’s notice might give him problems arranging childcare and so on?

I guess this all is down to your contract TBH. I don’t think 24 hours notice is unreasonable – but if it is to go for 3 weeks then it probably is.
Depending on you circumstances, you can arrange lots of stuff – but being a single parent etc will obviously make thisngs huge difficult. But you employer / boss would know this.

If you were telling me you couldn’t / wouldn’t go because you were going to miss you spin class, and German night school, I think I would just look at off-loading you as soon as possible, if the job required such assignments.

If you were telling me you couldn’t / wouldn’t go because you were going to miss you spin class, and German night school, I think I would just look at off-loading you as soon as possible, if the job required such assignments.

Paging Jamie we need some beer halle spin class photoshopping doing right now!

I’m not sure those type of commitments would wash with most employers.
take your trainers with you.

They dont pay you for your free time so tough shit

Its odd how one sides some of this is

Imagine asking your boss today to go to school tomorrow to see your child in a school play

I imagine the pushy bosses would react differently were you to make a similar demand of the “work”

Really Junkyard – Job that involves travel, employee says nah bit busy meeting mates down the pub like….

Doesn’t even sound like a Pushy Boss just asking someone to do their job.

I wouldn’t class physical training as a fair excuse not to travel, but if I’d paid for stuff (gym/lessons/whatever) in advance, I’d want to be reimbursed if insufficient notice had been given (and no additional payment was in place) At the same time, I wouldn’t expect my boss to let me take a week off with a weeks notice.

I travel for work quiet a bit but, it’s very on off in nature (India / US / EU & Baltic).

For US and India there is advance notice – but it has been at two weeks once I have had a valid work visa etc.

I think most businesses understand you can’t just drop everything – and if you are felxible they can be too.

For example I push for things like ‘days in lieu’ for time a way at short notice (i.e. like a Monday / Friday to make up a long weekend – or some shorter hours the week I am back) to compensate etc.

DILs don’t cost the firm cash money, and normally if I have gone, it has saved a more seniour person going, so they are open to that type of negotiation.

Yeah – also be clear on your firm’s expenses policy before you go…..

Is that acceptable would you say?

Yes, unless you think otherwise. And if you do, why are you talking to us about it!?

The OP says may not does.
You may wish to read my first post up there as well.

“They dont pay you for your free time so tough shit “

if so then contract negotiations time then.

soon as i leave home office they pay for everything including every minute im away from home.

wouldnt be traveling unless it was so.

Huh? that aimed at me Junky? All I’m saying is, it’s simple to resolve if there’s an issue – talk to your boss.
If not, why start a thread? Bizarre.