Never Complain about Business Travel

The year is nearly over and I made Marriott Platinum for the second year in a row, creased 2M lifetime miles on United Airlines and nearly 250K miles for the year, also for the second year in a row. Perhaps not coincidentally, the service for which I work at my company has become the largest individual practice at the company after quadrupling its revenue in the past four years.

The greatest learning I take from all of this travel? Don’t complain about business travel.

It’s tempting at this time of year – with so many posts on social media about work/life balance – to reassess the personal cost of massive amounts of business travel. It is impossible to ignore the personal, physical and financial cost and there is the loss of time and a multitude of personal sacrifices.

But never complain.

Employers simply don’t know how to respond to or handle complaints. There are a variety of reasons:

Jealousy

I try to pretend that this does not exist, but it is hard to avoid the perception that the road warrior lives a privileged life. All the travel looks exciting and sophisticated from a distance. The reality is something very different – unless you’re traveling in your own private jet.

In the automotive industry in which I work there is a definite travel hierarchy among my company’s clients. Car makers like Audi or BMW have specific thresholds for the number of flight hours that require business class tickets for their flying employees. Suppliers to the car makers, meanwhile, have slightly higher thresholds. GM is believed to enforce coach on all its employees under all circumstances.

The business class seat does provide a kinder, gentler traveling experience, but it is no antidote for jetlag – especially for travel to Asia. But those premium car makers paying for business class seats are expecting their employees to hit the ground running.

There really is nothing to be jealous of, especially since expectations for results only increase with travel. Whether it is written output or sales or project progress – increased travel engenders antipathy, not sympathy. Your jealous co-workers and managers will be looking for the ROI, so you better not come back with a sob story.

Cost

Employers can’t help the fact that they must always put their fiduciary responsibilities ahead of all else. You may come back from your trip with new contacts, new opportunities, even new business, but you still have to sit down and file that expense report. There’s no free lunch.

Any complaint about travel is bound to be greeted with an almost reflexive “Well, maybe you shouldn’t travel so much.” That is NOT what you will want to hear. Worse is your employer quietly removing you from the mental roster of those considered "willing to travel."

Near-sighted and even far-sighted employers find it hard to escape the view of the road warrior as a cost center – even if many trips are paid for by clients. Producing costs and expense reports has a corollary of raising suspicions. The more you travel and the more successful you become, the greater will be the cost and suspicion. Don’t complain about that either.

Priorities

Your employer will never understand your sacrifices or the impact on your life, so the pressure will be entirely on you to manage personal priorities and maximize personal time. Processing expense reports, tending to familial obligations – all of these things must be seen to – including household tasks and even, yes, intimacy with your partner – in an urgent fashion. It is okay to complain to your partner and family – but never your employer.

Vacation

You really should and need to take vacation. I have never been especially good at this. It is a weakness and a failing. Everyone needs to recharge. Don’t brag about or talk about that either. Not taking vacation will only be used against you – REALLY.

Had enough?

If you have had enough of travel, it may be time for you to complain. But think about that long and hard. If you are traveling for your company it is a de facto endorsement of your value to the organization.

The reason for the jealousy I mentioned earlier is that not all employees are asked to travel or have the opportunity. Travel is something that is earned – a perquisite. Complaining about travel is like looking a gift horse in the mouth. So, important though work/life balance may be, travel is a necessary evil and if you are asked to do it, don’t complain about it.

And DO take vacation – that’s your payback.