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Original poster

New job - important meeting. When to travel?

83 replies

TravelDilemma · 15/11/2021 21:55

I start a new job in a couple of weeks. On day 2 I have to travel to London from 2.5-3 hours away and have a couple of options.

Travel on the day. Will mean getting up at 5am and risk of train/tube delays. Don’t really want to be a hot and sweaty flustered mess the first time I meet all the people I am managing.

Or I can pay for a hotel the night before. Will cost me at least £75 and my employer £50 less. Means travelling at the end of my first day in the new job so likely be knackered but possibly better for the first impression the next day.

What would you do?

OP posts:

dutchyoriginal · 15/11/2021 22:56

End of the first day, I think. You don't have to worry about getting up really early or facing train delays. I think you will feel more "in control" in the weeks after if your first meeting went well. I would consider the expense a financial preparation for the day, if you can afford it.

mindutopia · 15/11/2021 23:36

Me personally, I’d probably go up same day. I do this trip regularly (from 3 hours away as my main office is in London). It’s generally not an issue and I personally prefer to sleep at home, but totally depends on what works for you.

Burnamer · 15/11/2021 23:39

Why would your employer not cover the cost of the hotel? That’s the real question.

Redwinestillfine · 15/11/2021 23:46

Your employer should be paying. Big red flag if they don't.

Palavah · 15/11/2021 23:54

Is the work location in your contract London or elsewhere?

Check the travel expenses policy but I'd book a hotel

Brewandhoney · 15/11/2021 23:57

Check with your employer but any hotels and travel should definitely be covered by your employer if required. Most will say something like if travel is required pre 6am, a hotel the night before can be used

BarbaraofSeville · 16/11/2021 06:29

In those circumstances I'd definitely stay in a hotel the night before and expect your employer to pay for it and possibly train travel too.

But it depends on where your contractual base is and where you are normally expected to work.

If you are contractually home based, or at a location that is not London, the employer should pay the cost of any travel that is to London, or other location that's not your normal office plus hotels where appropriate.

The only time you should be paying for travel to London yourself would be if your normal place of work is the London office, and they actually expect you to show up a certain number of days per week/month, you would be expected to fund this yourself.

MinesAPintOfTea · 16/11/2021 06:33

Similar distance from London. Employee’s choice for morning meeting whether to get up early or go down the night before and get a single room near the station. Both options cost my employer about the same due to evening trains being cheaper.

After your first day, get the train down and have a celebratory glass of wine/slice of cake for getting through your first day.

WickedWitchOfTheTrent · 16/11/2021 06:42

I'm very surprised you employer won't pay for a hotel overnight and travelling costs as it's so far away. I live about 2 hrs away and if I had a meeting in London early in the morning id stay overnight at the companies expense.

Smorgasborb · 16/11/2021 07:07

@WickedWitchOfTheTrent

Totally this. Would be my choice and expensed back to company. If they aren't up for this then I'd question how good an employer they are. Works out about the same given the cost of morning peak travel. They also pay for my dinner and a couple of drinks!

I preferred to sleep at home and get up early. I used to travel so much I hated hotels and would do anything to avoid them! Agree though it's much more stressful for the morning.

Either way OP you shouldn't be out of pocket for whichever works best for you. Company should cover the lot.

Original poster

TravelDilemma · 16/11/2021 07:58

@Palavah

Is the work location in your contract London or elsewhere?

Check the travel expenses policy but I'd book a hotel

No it’s not. Their HQ is in London.

OP posts:

Original poster

TravelDilemma · 16/11/2021 07:58

@Palavah

Is the work location in your contract London or elsewhere?

Check the travel expenses policy but I'd book a hotel

I don’t work for them yet so don’t have access to policies.

OP posts:

Original poster

TravelDilemma · 16/11/2021 08:01

@WickedWitchOfTheTrent

I haven’t asked them so they haven’t refused.

I need to be there for 9:30am. I live a 40 min drive from the station. Some people might be fine with getting up at 4am but I won’t sleep the night before worrying about missing my alarm (not an early riser at all).

As I’m new I thought I’d ask to travel the night before and see what they say about a hotel. Just wasn’t sure if that was reasonable.

OP posts:

Disfordarkchocolate · 16/11/2021 08:03

I'd travel on the night before if it was a direct train. Time to relax, have something to eat. I stayed in a Premier Inn Hub last time I did this and it was ideal for this sort of trip.

namechange30455 · 16/11/2021 08:05

I'd think it was an enormous red flag if they didn't expect you to travel the night before and to pay for your hotel!

BertiesShoes · 16/11/2021 08:14

As I’m new I thought I’d ask to travel the night before and see what they say about a hotel. Just wasn’t sure if that was reasonable.

Have you never been in a job requiring travel before?

Now retired, but having travelled with work in the past, my employer would find it unreasonable to go very early in the morning….they want employees fresh for their day at work, and repeatedly told us to travel the night before rather than very early starts.

Any half decent employer will pay travel costs and hotel costs, maybe just clarify the booking procedure before you start (my employer had a specific travel partner that hotels were booked through). But please do not feel it is unreasonable to travel the night before.

My DS has a London based job, but WFH at moment. He has been down once in Sept and going in December for a team Xmas celebration. He is travelling in the morning, however, we are 15mins drive from a main line station and his office is 2 stops on Northern line from Euston. He can be in office by 8.30 from the 6.30 train!

Original poster

TravelDilemma · 16/11/2021 08:18

I haven’t been in a job where I have had to travel like this on day 2. Feeling a bit unsettled leaving one job and starting another after 19 months of Covid disruption. Should be WFH mostly. It’s just the speed of this that has thrown me.

OP posts:

BarbaraofSeville · 16/11/2021 08:23

Now retired, but having travelled with work in the past, my employer would find it unreasonable to go very early in the morning….they want employees fresh for their day at work, and repeatedly told us to travel the night before rather than very early starts

Travelling the night before also reduces the risk of being late due to delays, cancellations, traffic problems etc etc. If you're travelling on the day and there's an issue, you're not getting there on time, so you have to factor in the impact of this. If lots of people will be disrupted by your non/late arrival, that has to be factored into the decision. If you go the night before, you have time available to overcome any issues.

Plus, as others have said, travel to major cities like London is often much cheaper in the evening than it is to get there for the start of the business day, so even if they have to pay for a hotel and even an evening meal, the overall cost can be the same or even less than a train ticket that gets you there for 9 am.

Disfordarkchocolate · 16/11/2021 08:34

I'd ask for a copy of their travel policy. Most won't expect you to start travelling before 6 am.

WeAreTheHeroes · 16/11/2021 08:38

Ring your new boss or HR and tell them you plan to travel the night before and ask will they organise the hotel for you or should you and claim it back via expenses. If asked can you not travel on the day just say that as this is an important first meeting with the team you would prefer not to run the risk of any travel issues impacting your journey and making you late. You could even suggest dinner with a key person the evening beforehand. Be professional about this!

MaggieFS · 16/11/2021 08:39

You'll have to ask them what their travel policy is. It's not unreasonable to ask this as travel should normally be booked in advance to secure the best price whether it's train on the day or hotel the night before - you need to know.

I wouldn't think it unreasonable to leave at 6.30 for a 9.30 meeting, or even to leave at 6am. Any requiring getting up before 5am would be a different matter. However, I appreciate that wouldn't suit everyone.

Original poster

TravelDilemma · 16/11/2021 08:40

New boss is on leave for the next 2 weeks. Her secretary is making the arrangements and has just asked me to let her know when I would like to travel. So I’ll say the night before and see where we go from there.

OP posts:

WeAreTheHeroes · 16/11/2021 08:41

If they haven't issued you with a corporate card then imho they should pick up the cost for you.

rookiemere · 16/11/2021 08:41

Our work would likely expect you to travel on the morning. I'd definitely go the night before and source a cheap Premier Inn hub hotel or something like that, then if you do have to pay for it yourself it's not too bad.
You could say you're not comfortable traveling on busy morning trains/tubes due to coronavirus, so having a hotel within walking distance of the office negates that need.

WeAreTheHeroes · 16/11/2021 08:42

Please be more assertive - I get you are unsure of things but start as you mean to go on and don't let things like this make you look like a wet lettuce.

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