Bed bug compensation from work

[BedBugMotel]

Name change for this.

I work in a large multinational that makes billions in profit every year. I had to travel to Paris for work. They were being very stingy with the budget, and I could only afford the cheapest hotel on their "approved" list and had to take public transport. The hotel had reviews from the past saying there were bed bugs there.

I now think I have bedbugs - I'm going to the doctor for a diagnosis. If it turns out I do have bed bugs, could I get some kind of compensation from work? What evidence would I need? Who would I need to talk to?

Not sure I'm "clutching at straws." However, this is why I asked. I presumed it would be part of occupational health. After all, this is why they have a list of "approved hotels", because they are supposed to meet a minimum standard. Similarly, there are places we aren't allowed to travel for our health.

Anyhow, from the responses here it would seem there is no responsibility from they employer, which is fine. I'll find out what is going on skin-wise, and then take necessary next steps (e.g. extermination if bedbugs are found).

Thank you everyone for your responses.

See if your local council do bed bug assessments - some do - they would know where to look as I think they’re not always easy to find.

Unfortunately I don’t think you can blame anyone, apparently they are very easy to catch and are notorious hitchhikers - you can get then from anywhere so while it’s most likely they came from the hotel I don’t think you can prove it!

Some of the top hotels have bed bugs infestations at times and they travel on suitcases and clothes. Public transport is often a problem too so could be picked up anywhere. Have you seen any specs of blood and check the corners of the mattress top and bottom they love the dark. High heat is the best to get rid of them but it’s not easier. As for comp, what would you claim for?

If you are getting more bites they are in your current bed (or clothes).
Have you checked your bed?

I agree. There is no way your employer is responsible. The hotel may not have been fancy but it was a regular hotel. Your claim is against the hotel

If your company gave you low expenses for food and you bought from a cheap takeaway it would not be your employers responsibility if you got food poisoning.

It would be the takeaway and possibly the authority who gave then their license.

I'm not sure what I would claim for. I would like some time off to deal with them and the mental health aspect (I've had no time off and don't intend to take any). Maybe the cost of extermination and replacing things like mattress.

In my defence, as I'm feeling a pile on for daring to think about compensation: I guess, seeing as they are a huge company (well inside the top 20 most profitable companies in the world), I expected a bit more from them. I didn't realise the bed bug infestation "wasn't a real thing".

As I said, I had little choice with the hotel as it was the only one within the miniscule budget they allowed, so despite many poor reviews I felt i had to stay there as it was "approved" and the only one in budget. FWIW I wasn't hoping for an expensive hotel, but the only one I could afford was £130 per night, right in the centre of Paris with 3/5 on Google reviews. Normally we're allowed to stay in hotels up to £250 a night, however they are giving out less money for international trips.

I think you are really going to struggle to get the hotel or your employer to believe that bedbugs you have in your bed now are from a hotel you stayed in a while ago. You would need evidence that you got them from the hotel.

You don’t have a case against your employer here, and a month down the line you’re also unlikely to be able to claim on any travel insurance

Your claim is with the hotel not your employer

You would have to prove that the hotel had bed bugs

With your analogy of food: what if there was a system with approved catering companies for events. You can only order food from these approved companies, but you only have enough money to order from the cheapest, which has a bunch of bad reviews from people saying they have had food poisoning from the company. Then you order the food and get food poisoning. During the event planning process your employer constantly told you to be frugal and gave you half as much budget as they would normally give to run an event, despite having a large surplus of money meaning they could afford better quality catering companies.

Obviously, you could chose not to eat with this knowledge, but I would think the employer would have some responsibility? But maybe not. I know nothing about law.

If you were aware from reviews that bedbugs could be an issue, there were steps you could (and should) have taken on arriving in your hotel room, and when you got home, to help avoid them.

Just in a legal sense I think your employer could argue - you knew in advance, you chose that hotel anyway, you said nothing, you did nothing to reduce the risk.

You don't need your mattress replaced btw. You just need the bugs killed. If they're there they'll be in the bed frame and all sorts of other places.

Your claim is with the hotel not your employer. Even then you'd need to prove they came from the hotel.

You have no chance with your employer. Sorry. Have you looked for bed bugs? They'll be under your mattress/bedding possibly behind things like frames in your bedroom.
Could you take a photo of the bugs if you find any and post here?

You are quite fixated on the budget so I think it's important to remember that due to how easily they're moved around, bedbugs could be in any hotel including expensive 5 star ones. There's another easy comeback from your employer.

But shouldn't they have updated their list of approved suppliers given the poor reviews?

I guess with the budget, I'm focused on the lack of choice. I couldn't have stayed in a different hotel.

The company provided no information about how to protect myself from bedbugs. But it sounds as if it wasn't a high risk in Paris anyway. In other countries where there is an elevated risk of something (e.g. Malaria, terrorism, pick pockets), they send emails about how to protect yourself and give warnings when booking. It isn't up to the employee to identify the risk and then do their own research about how to protect themselves.

Re claiming from the employer and not the hotel, I actually want my employer to change their practices around things like this.

OP, your GP will not be able to determine if they are Bed Bug bites. They may be able to determine if it is scabies or something.

If you are getting bitten as much as it sounds you would be able to see the bed bugs in your bed. You need to get a pest control company to come and have a look. Bed bugs are not like dust mites, they are very visible.

Honestly the time to complain about the budget was before you went . If accommodation is expensive in a destination I'm travelling to ; I take screen shots of booking.com showing cheapest options and forward them to you manager and hr saying that you can't book anything suitable as budget isn't sufficient and ask them to source something appropriate. .
To answer your question . You'd be laughed out the door if you try and claim compensation from work for this. You do have a case against your he hotel though but it would be very difficult to prove.

Everyone in Britain- I can't get an appointment with a GP for serious health issues.
OP- I'm going to get a GP appointment to see if I have been bitten by bedbugs.

Good Grief.

The company provided no information about how to protect myself from bedbugs.

You were able to use Google or similar to check the reviews of the hotel. Upon reading that bedbugs were an issue, I think 99% of people would have immediately Googled that topic. Not said and done nothing, apparently waiting for work to provide some information.

I'm not having at go at you btw, just anticipating the response you'll get to an accusation that this is the employer's responsibility. They'll ask - where's your own personal responsibility in this?

But it might not be bedbugs as I cannot see them in the bed. And I have private healthcare.

The judgement on here, with no contribution to the question asked. Why would I call in pest control if I have no idea what it is? That is a waste too.

I'm not going to post pictures on mumsnet for people to identify my issue. I'm going to see a professional. I've spent a lot of time looking at pictures online and I'm not sure what it is. I merely asked if i have bedbugs, do I have a compensation case. I didn't ask how to get rid of bed bugs or who to go to if I have bed begs.

Good grief.

Your better off getting a pest controller to look at the bites than a GP. But the only way to be sure is either catch a bug in the act or have your property inspected for them.

I'm not sure what it being the cheapest hotel on the list has to do with it though. OH is a pest controller in London and all the big posh hotels get them too. It's the nature of the beast!

No, your employer would have no responsibility in that case either. If you were made unwell, your come back (if any) would be against the catering company who prepared the food! Just like in your case potentially if you had genuinely noticed a bed bug at the hotel you would have had some come back against them.

If it's bedbugs you'll have to have your entire place treated, it'll be a nightmare tbh.

So the employer has no responsibility to manage the quality of suppliers it approves? This is a genuine question. All the suppliers go through an approval process (e.g. for suppliers who manage data, catering, hotels etc.)

I know. Funnily enough one of my colleagues on the trip previously had bed bugs and told me all about it. His place had to be treated multiple times and in the end he got rid of all his furniture. He had them for months.

Your employer can approve/hire any company who is legally qualified, registered etc to do the job it approves/pays them to do. If the company does not meet the required standards, so in your food example if they give you food poisoning, then the come back is on THEM, not your employer. Your employer has hired a qualified company to do a certain job, if they fail to do that it is them who is incompetent, not your employer. It would be different if say for example your employer put on a buffet for you and paid their dodgy mate Dave from round the corner to make the food, but when they pay for or approve a qualified certified company, they are not in the wrong, no.