We like the idea of ‘bleisure’

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Travel for work or work to travel, whichever way you spin it, the bleisure trend – blending work obligations with personal getaways – is the perfect way to tick your boss box while giving yourself the opportunity to get away and see the world.

Corporate Traveller gives us some advice on how to find the right balance between work and play with these tips:

  1. Work or play first?

Is it better to take a few days before your work obligations or tag on a few days after your work commitments are done and dusted? Usually, you want to get work before you play, but that’s not always possible or practical. If you’re travelling to meet with a new client for a project that will start straight away, you may want to take a few days’ leisure and catch your breath before the hard work kicks off. Whichever way it goes, keep it professional. Make good use of your time by setting up meetings in advance, preparing well for them and getting the work done.

  1. Are you covered?

Your company has a legal and moral duty of care to keep you safe, but before you dust off your scuba gear, you should know there are limits to the company’s responsibility, especially when you’re adding leisure days to your business trip. The company travel policy should outline your obligations and the permissible activities included in any bleisure trips. It needs to say what activities are off-limits for business travellers in as much detail as possible. Read the T&C’s.

  1. Who’s paying?

Make sure the company is aware you are planning to take some leisure days, and that all sides are clear about who is paying for what. It is best to be completely open and upfront about the expenses involved and the expectations about who is footing the bill. This will include issues of travel insurance and S&T credits. It is very likely that business travellers will want to stay in the same place for their leisure add-on, so the travel agent or travel manager can ask the accommodation to provide an incentive for the extended stay – either a discount or complementary services or meals.

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