Husband’s female colleague’s issue being taken very seriously.

Just off the top of my head:

Reputational risk if a spouse misbehaves/does anything illegal while staying somewhere on the company’s time

Insurance risk if the anything happens to the spouse during the trip (insurance is usually built in to work trips booked through travel providers but would not cover spouses)

Financial risk as at the very minimum it will create an additional administrative burden to ensure that company funds are not being used to support spouse travel/subsistence in any way which could be flagged in audits etc.

Risk to company culture as it may make other employees feel uncomfortable (as has been the case here)

I could go on.

What professional services jobs are actually 9-5. It’s not the same as clocking into Tesco. Most professional services jobs have people working & socialising after 5. And this is covered in the contract.

So what’s the risk?

Interesting. I was never allowed to put alcohol on any evening dinner expenses. And with a meal allowance of £25 per evening, if we had been allowed it would have been of paintstripper quality!

Because it’s a work trip and the company is paying for half of it.

I think you are muddling a week on a hotel based-jolly with having to visit another city to work, possibly in your own company office or at a clients?

The company is not ‘paying for the trip’ - they are expensing overnight accommodation (and meals that would cost more than the employee would spend on his M&S supper shared with his wife at home) all so that the employee can do is day job in that location. How they spend their evenings in the accommodation is none of the company’s business and probably an invasion of privacy to ask or impose rules. I know of people who, if they go to certain cities where they have family/friends, they stay with them instead of expensing a hotel. All perfectly normal.

Obviously if they are at a conference, representing their company/industry, and there are evening events/awards ceremonies etc there are different expectations but no wives would tag along to that unless there were spouse events. I did actually event-manage a business conference in Italy for my Bank where wives were expressly invited and tours arranged for them in the day and a black tie dinner in the evening which included them, but that was 25 years ago and a rare set up even back then.

And don’t tell me employee buys bottle of wine on expenses and souse doesn’t touch a drop etc.

I think you are muddling a week on a hotel based-jolly with having to visit another city to work, possibly in your own company office or at a clients?

The company is not ‘paying for the trip’ - they are expensing overnight accommodation (and meals that would cost more than the employee would spend on his M&S supper shared with his wife at home) all so that the employee can do is day job in that location. How they spend their evenings in the accommodation is none of the company’s business and probably an invasion of privacy to ask or impose rules. I know of people who, if they go to certain cities where they have family/friends, they stay with them instead of expensing a hotel. All perfectly normal.

Obviously if they are at a conference, representing their company/industry, and there are evening events/awards ceremonies etc there are different expectations but no wives would tag along to that unless there were spouse events. I did actually event-manage a business conference in Italy for my Bank where wives were expressly invited and tours arranged for them in the day and a black tie dinner in the evening which included them, but that was 25 years ago and a rare set up even back then.

Nicer to see places with a husband or wife though, isn't it?

WTAF? Why? Presumably her own work and other interests are going just fine. She has the opportunity to accompany her husband to some amazing places, lucky her! Good for the marriage and enriching for them both.

But you, for some reason, feel it would be better for them if they were each visiting these places separately at different times, with other people ... 😳

There are some very odd people on this thread.

Because it’s a work trip and the company is paying for half of it.

Bad habit ;)

I'm actually tempted to go back and count how many times you've used "BAU" on this thread.

Or go on holidays with her husband in his annual leave time which is BAU for most people.

So what’s the risk?

Or maybe you could find the sort of job that would enable you to travel to such places off your own back?

Wow - how misogynistic is this??

He is not going to be ‘pandering to his wife’s wants and needs’ during the working day in another city any more than he does when he WFH or from his usual work-based office and goes home at night.

He will put in a day’s work while she is off exploring the city on their own dime and then will meet to eat and talk in the evening, as he would after any day at work at home. Maybe go sight seeing/see a play etc. There is no legal obligation to spend your evening with colleagues just because you are in a different city - unless the employee and spouse [I know of a retired DH who joins his exec wife on some business trips] choose to or it is a pre-planned event such as a business dinner of conference, in which case wives probably don’t visit anyway.

WTAF? Why? Presumably her own work and other interests are going just fine. She has the opportunity to accompany her husband to some amazing places, lucky her! Good for the marriage and enriching for them both.

But you, for some reason, feel it would be better for them if they were each visiting these places separately at different times, with other people ... 😳

There are some very odd people on this thread.

As many have explained it isn’t universal. And the HR department do see a risk that the company has decided not to carry. That how business works, you decided what risks you are willing to take.

She’s quite capable of understanding for herself that evenings are your own when you work away from home, it shouldn’t have needed any explanation. I don’t see what “risk” there could possibly be.

How is it a work jolly when it’s not her work and she’s paying for herself?

Or maybe you could find the sort of job that would enable you to travel to such places off your own back?

We don’t know they are senior. Just they are older and have worked there longer. 3 auditors away on a job. Might all be same grade. She can read the company away policy.
Yes they could have said heads up we do our own thing in evening but it may not have occurred to them she would expect to hang out with colleagues in her free time.
It’s free time in evening not work time.

She was on a work trip with two senior work colleagues. Why was it not on them to spell it out? Why didn’t they explain the plan for the trip for her, it’s not akin to going to football after work. It’s a business trip when you’re away with collegues. The least they could have done was explain her evenings are her own.

By the sounds of things it wasn’t an official policy in any case. It was overlooked/tolerated/not an issue until somebody made it an issue. And then the company decided it was too risky.