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I have a job offer where they want me to travel to HQ for the first week to meet the team.

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I have a job offer where they want me to travel to HQ for the first week to meet the team.

This was just mentioned after multiple interviews going back to August. The cost of the flight, car and hotel come to over $3K. My start date is still 3 weeks off and they haven't given me a definitive answer on how/when I would be reimbursed. Their travel policy is basic and doesn't include a corp card (ever). Should I ask to onboard before I schedule work travel on my personal credit card? Is it rude to ask that they book and pay for this travel for me?

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  1. Sarah Mayfield

    If they want you to travel then they are absolutely expecting to pay. Rather than make arrangements, unless you already have, ask who you should contact about making the arrangements. Or as for the written policy about this arrangement, where they want you to stay, etc... If they want you to book this travel on your dime before you even start, that is a red flag...

  2. Anonymous

    So they want you fly out there for a few days to meet the team? Did you receive a written offer? Talk to HR and hiring mgr and let them know the cost involved to see if they can allow you do a virtual meeting instead of the team until your start date or if you need to move, by the time you arrive

  3. Anonymous

    No, they should be paying for all that up front. If they are requiring you to be onsite in another state/area, they have to expect that they will pay for it.

  4. Anonymous

    Also, they should be making all the arrangements, not you.

  5. Shelby C

    Not at all. They should pay for it. If they won't buy the ticket and book your hotel and a rental car I would see that as a red flag unless they're a very small company that doesn't have corporate travel accounts. In that case, everyone traditionally pays for their own and is reimbursed -OR- they're given a cash advance to cover expenses. Then, you do an expense report at the end and turn in the overage. They have a good idea of what the trips cost and should also give you a little wiggle room. We used to do that for people without credit on a regular basis.

  6. GirlBossanova934974

    Please contact your HR Department, ASAP and/or your new manager. In many companies, managers are given credit cards or HR pays for these things up front. You should NOT be shelling out $3,000 up front as a new employee. I myself worked remote around a decade ago. I was asked the team every month BUT the total travel cost came to $300/visit if that. $300 was not too much of a stretch but $3,000 is way out of line. If they are NOT going to pay for it OR ask you to front it, that should be a total NON STARTER. $3,000 seems a bit high BTW.

  7. Jennifer Fay Bogar-Richardson

    Don’t schedule anything. That’s their job.

  8. PJ Deusenberry

    My previous company did something like that but we always booked the hotel & rental car up front and paid for lunches. Then we'd reimburse the person for breakfast and dinner expenses. You shouldn't have to pay 3K to start a job.

  9. Diana Rollins

    I'm my experience I pay for it and then Expense it. I book it myself as I prefer to understand the options and be get the rewards. Totally normal in my experience at many companies. The expectation is that you have enough credit on a credit card or in your account to cover flights and submit for a quick reimbursement.

  10. Anonymous

    The OP isn’t even an employee yet. This is traveling for an interview

  11. Ayian

    I had an offer go from "we'll fly you down" to "we'll reimburse you mileage", so one car tune up later, I arrive at the hotel late at night and... the room isn't paid for. The hotel let me stay the night to deal with it in the morning, but I did not ultimately have to pay for the hotel and was promptly reimbursed for the expenses including food for the duration of the trip.

    The real key is clear communication on frequency of pay and processing time for reimbursements. As a new employee, I would not put more than a few hundred into travel costs. The rest should be taken up by the company that has decided I need to travel.

  12. bahrbe

    She's not an employee yet. This company may be testing the waters to see which candidates are most easily manipulated and can be taken advantage of.

  13. bahrbe

    And even if she WERE an employee, the company should not expect employees to float them a loan by paying for company expenses on their personal credit cards. That's a big red flag.

  14. Anonymous

    But what if you don’t?

  15. Anonymous

    If you have to fork out expenses before you even start, it#s a red flag.
    No this is NOT rude. Look at it this way. You will incur expenses and they will end up not reimbursing given this was never agreed on, I had a similar situation with a company that hired me. Second week in, i had to fork out for expenses the company ask me to take care of. For. E.g DHL docs to another continent, errands for the CEO, (note i am an executive assistant) online shopping etc. When i realise that im swamped I asked them what the policy for reimbursement is. It so happens that the payment system pay you two months later. which means not only do i have my own personal expenses but i had to cater to the company as well. When i addressed this issue, i was told this is the procedure of the company and there is nothing i can do about it. Whilst I had no problem at times i was overwhelmd. as i couldnt take care of my own commitments., due to budgeting for the company expenses with my own finances as well. That was one of the reasons i left the company. Cause not only does payment come after two months, it is processed late, and to receive it takes 3 months. This dymanic didnt sit well with me. So YES adress the issue of payment. They are to suggest compensation/costs upfront before you even have to mention it, which to me is a redflag that its not the case.

  16. Crystal Howell

    If you haven't started, do you have an offer? Red flag, move on to another interview.

  17. Anonymous

    Corporate should reimburse you for any requested travel. Normally, they will book the flight and overnight stay for you; have you asked how they handle this?

    It is not unusual for the last step of the interview/hiring process to include a trip to meet your team at HQ.

    Get clarity on how this trip will be handled as far as expenses now. Be direct, precise and directed.

  18. JYJ

    You haven't even started yet and they want you to fork out over 3K? Is this part of the interviewing process or do you have the job? Either way, they should be taking care of these arrangements and expenses-not you. Please speak up now.

  19. Deanna Young

    All expenses for onboard should be paid by them unless you are a contractor or consultant that bills .

  20. Anonymous

    My company, an award winning hospital that just celebrated 70 years, makes out of area candidates book and pay their own coach flights, hotel, local transportation and food. The candidate then submits all the receipts to be repaid. Reimbursement takes up to 45 days!

    It sounds like you already have the job already so it isn't a waste of time at least. If you have the funds available, I'd go and get to know your new team! If you're concerned you won't be reimbursed then you shouldn't even consider taking the job.

  21. Fernanda Martinez

    At our company, if we expect anyone to travel for training or onboarding’s we arrange and pay for all travel for the person. Having to fork out 3k before you even start is not a reasonable expectation for anyone. That’s just crazy of you ask me.

  22. Shebbra Toussaint

    I just experienced this. My first week I had to travel to attend leadership meetings. I asked a colleague and reimbursement only takes a couple of days. However, even if it took longer I was still going.

  23. Anonymous

    I wouldn’t book anything until after you start, you never know what could happen.

    Also, I wouldn’t book on my own until speaking with them because they may have corporate rates. I’m sure trips to headquarters happen frequently, so they may have an arrangement with a hotel for better rates. Even if you have ate expensing it, they won’t want to pay more than what they need to. They may also have limits as to what you can spend.
    Also, if the flight is expensive they may even hold off. You don’t want to charge it and then find out they’ve canceled due to the cost.

  24. Anonymous

    Happy you landed this role! To be clear, it is neither normal nor appropriate for a corporate job to require you to travel and not FULLY reimburse your expenses. That has been the norm at reputable companies for decades. As others have noted, be courteous but very clear via email with the person requiring the travel concerning how you will be FULLY reimbursed, along with the timeline for the reimbursement. You may want to ask them as well if they have a corporate account through which they want you to book the travel so that they can pay for it. The worst thing however is to make assumptions one way or the other. We are heading into very uncertain economic times and the last thing you want to happen is to fork out this money and then they decide not to keep you.

  25. Anonymous

    I would not book any trips , something sounds off when I applied for a job that requires me to interview in another state they paid for all travel expenses , and that was just an interview

    inwoios think twice about a job that requires me to lay out 3k for a meeting

  26. Anonymous

    I would absolutely have them book the travel. Send an email back giving the flights that would work for you you, and tell them you will also require hotel and transportation.

  27. Anonymous

    I would not book anything. I accepted a job offer once from a company that was later rescinded.

  28. Audrey Kirsch

    I had to interview in person for my current remote position in another state. The company arranged and paid for my flights. Do not spend your own money for travel! That is not a company you want to work for if they haven’t explained the travel policy or haven’t actually employed you yet.

  29. ReachingGoals

    They should be booking your flight and getting your hotel room. Also, find out what local travel arrangements they are making for you.

  30. Wanda Corner, PhD, PMP

    I would ask that they pay for the travel if it was not mentioned as a requirement of hiring. If they say that they will pay in advance, that is a demonstration of their commitment to follow through with your offer of employment (investing in your success). If they say no, that is a red flag and perhaps they are trying to utilize you as their bank (similar to how some companies pay their vendors late as a method of keeping the cash flow longer). Alternatively, they may utilize the introduction at your expense of travel so they can decide it is not a good cultural fit. Then they have nothing to lose if they rescind their offer of employment.

  31. Chrishogg

    In case you have read through the comments so far, and are still unsure about what to do ...

    then what you need to do ...

    is read through the comments again and pay very, very close attention to what folks are suggesting / recommending.

  32. Sarah Larson

    I’ve gone through a similar situation, where I was asked by a company I’d be joining in a few weeks to book travel for my third week of work.

    They sent me access to their travel portal with my personal email. I didn’t use my personal credit card at all to book.

    ^IMHO that is how it should be handled or, they buy it for you with you confirming times/details that work for you.

  33. R.C. Salyer

    Of course. You just say, thanks for the invite, I'd really like to come; "SEND me a E-Ticket and letter with their Letterhead and signed by your prospective manager, re-affirming, that I'll be reimbursed for the Hotel, Meals and Cab Fare's.

    You're just saying in essense; Your not a COMPLETE Jerk Off of a Company - F*cking around with people - you and your intentions are legit - RIGHT?

    If they can't immediately accept and send that back - then IMMEDIATELY suspend all communications with them. Let me tell you 70% of US Corporate Management Teams are to be avoided at all cost. You're looking to join that 30%, and you can't stay far enough away from that 70% of Stupid Mgt.

    You're the one that should be doing the "culling", to avoid working for stupid people.

    I used to teach High Tech. Network Engineering classes in all of North America. Many of these classes were at Corporate HQ's. I'd ask my students over several years how they would rank their Management? On a scale of +1>+10. Most common answer over 1000+ responses was 4! I'd say, that's not too bad, at least they can keep the doors open, sell some product and people get paid? Oh, they said - you don't get it at all. We're talking -4! I'd then say, hmm then you're saying the typical bare as*ed naked Carribean Island floating to our shores, is way more capable of running your company than your management? They'd typically answer "Hell Yes, at least that Refugee had mastered common sense to be able to make it to to the South Florida Shores - we can't say that about our management".

  34. bahrbe

    *!RED FLAG*! This happened to my sister. Run as fast as you can in the other direction.

    (1) If the company had their stuff together and were truly professional, this would have been mentioned much earlier in the process.

    (2) No legitimate company will expect you to front the costs for interviewing or any other pre-onboarding costs that they initiated or requested.

    (3) If this is how they conduct the interviewing process, it's not going to be any better working for them. This situation has "shady" written all over it.

    Keep looking.

  35. Anonymous

    I had a VERY well known, very legitimate consulting company in the defense industry try to pull this on me. I gave them the Whitney Houston half-smirk and said NO. I realize it was a privilege to be able to walk away from that situation, but it dodged me so many bullets that came out down the road.

  36. G C Hesse

    DO NOT PAY OUT OF YOUR POCKET!!!!

    If this company cannot afford to book the hotel, flight and rental car how are they going to reimburse you?

  37. Andrea Micciche

    If this company hired you, THEY should be paying all of your accommodations & if they haven’t offered, then you shouldn’t pay anything. This is a red flag!

  38. vm Freebird

    Just bow out gracefully. Say this... That's quite the expense when I haven't got the job. I would be willing to do a FaceTime.

  39. vm Freebird

    Face time interview

  40. bahrbe

    The company has shown itself to be suspicious. Why do a Face Time interview? Best to cut ties, move on, and be grateful for having dodged a bullet.

  41. vm Freebird

    Read my subsequent comment. You say this to show them you are on to their game it doesn't mean you really have a face time interview.

  42. vm Freebird

    I would run! Because that's a huge red flag! Imagine if you do get the job how they will treat you!

  43. Jennifer

    They should book and pay travel for you. And ask for meal policies and transport to/from airport and around town. They should have all that available.

  44. Anonymous

    They should book all your travel and pay for it. I agree with others that if they are unable to do so, this is a big RED flag!!

  45. Anonymous

    Just remember: we are saying they pay up front. We are not saying they agree to reimburse you. You shouldn’t be paying for anything at all.

  46. Erica Mitchell

    I would not pay for it myself, if I were you. If they want you to fly somewhere, they need to fund the travel.

  47. Anonymous

    If they require you to travel, they should book the ticket for you or give you a company credit card.

    Being reimbursed for food after the fact or even covering your own food without being reimbursed might be acceptable but never flights or hotels or rental cars if needed.

  48. Anonymous

    This is just not true. The issue in this situation is the person has not been onboarded yet. However, as long as she has a signed contract and an email chain confirming they will cover travel costs, then I would travel.

    IMHO, if this is a job paying a lower salary then it’s a different story. Unless your working for a large company, not everyone offers corporate credit cards. If the company is big enough to have a travel Dept then they likely have a corp card. But if it’s a smaller company, then being on your own is normal. Call your credit card company and have them change your billing cycle to be a few days after the expense payment cycle in the company. It makes travel relatively seamless if you auto pay your card. Also, it’s best to keep your work travel separate from your personal expenses if the travel becomes the norm.

    Best of luck! The opportunity to go to a company meeting when you start is invaluable. You get a jump start on meeting people and understanding the company.

  49. Anonymous

    I have never heard of even a small company not paying for a plane ticket up front.
    It's customary to even pay for plane tickets for interviews. I work at a small company with less than a dozen employees. We don't have a travel department but we still have a current employee book a flight for any employees or potential employees that we want to meet on site.

  50. Clydene Horrigan

    Most companies I have worked for required us to book our own flights and hotels and then get reimbursed.However, for a new hire, I would hope they take care of it.

  51. Anonymous

    I agree the company should pay for your travel, but I suspect the people you’re speaking to aren’t the ones who book travel. Give them the benefit of the doubt (until forced otherwise) and just ask for the contact information of whomever will be assisting with your travel plans.

  52. Nicolle Joy Wilfenger

    They should pay for it then send you the tickets/itinerary. Otherwise I would decline the trip.

  53. Liz Milne

    I wouldn't pay for anything without acknowledgement in writing that they will reimburse you. But it would be so much better if they book it (and pay for it!) for you...

  54. Anne-Marie

    Definitly not rude to ask that they book and pay. If they require you to be there they have to find a way out side their system to get you their. They may have mentioned it as a 'nice to have you there' , but they have to make it work. Not you.

    If it is an international trip, don't forgot to look into whether you need any visas and your passport is up to date . These can take weeks to come through. You may need to start on these now, but will be reimburseable.

  55. Anonymous

    Talk to them about it. Whether it is needed, they will pay for it ahead of the trip, or if and when they will reimburse with documentation on file. It is possible that they will bear some part of the trip cost ahead of the trip and reimburse the rest after you submit the bills.

  56. Anonymous

    Absolutely don’t go if it’s not 100% paid. It’s business and if they think that you even asking that question is inappropriate then you are better off knowing that sooner than later. You can meet the team over scheduled zoom meetings. You get what you pay for, don’t discount yourself going in!

  57. Anonymous

    I work for a state org who requires all in our dept. to front their travel to be reimbursed on the backend. I strongly disagree as your employer should provide all tools and cover any travel costs. Even if you get a travel card it affects your credit. Sounds like you accepted this job then realized they expect you to pay for your trip. Get everything in writing including reimbursement timeline but honestly I’d look elsewhere. Good luck!

  58. Anonymous

    I agree with you. It is unfortunate that companies are not more transparent.

  59. Anonymous

    I also work for a state agency, if we are asking candidates to come in for in-person interview, then we pay for travel and hotel plus meals. If a state employee is traveling, they must pay up front for hotel and food, then file an expense report to be reimbursed. Travel by train/plane/car can be put on a state credit card.

  60. Anonymous

    Asking a question is never rude; however, be careful how you word it. Good luck!

  61. Bernadette M Martinez

    Your employer should be booking this for you and providing you with the information for ticketing and hotels. There is absolutely no reason for you to book this as it's a work trip. Especially for a new employee. Do not take that expense on your personal things, ESPECIALLY since you haven't signed a contract or been hired yet.

  62. Tracy Dye

    I got offered a job last year, and was required to be in the office- 3 hrs away- the first day. The company paid for nothing, not even coffee or water at the orientation. They continue to be cheap. Other people have joined with the same requirements. I was wondering how much other companies require, and how it was handled. Doesn't help the poster much, but good luck and I hope they pay for you. Part of me wanting to leave this company is how cheap they are, they are even taking away 4 days of PTO next year.

  63. Anonymous

    Time for you to look for another job lol. They sound too cheap!

  64. Crystal Howell

    Start looking for a better job,financial red flags!

  65. Sarah Mayfield

    Look for another job ASAP. If they are taking away PTO they are in trouble, financially and may not be a stable company at all

  66. Annetta Moses

    As mentioned by others, have the conversation. I acknowledge I work for a large company and have asked new employees to travel for meetings the first 3 weeks after starting a job. The process was to be directly and have the company billed for airfare, hotel, and car service while at HQ. The new employee was responsible for taxi to and from the home and airport. This was reimbursement within 2 weeks of new employee submitting travel expenses. Breakfast was included in the hotel rate. The new employee is with other employees who paid for lunch and dinner.

    I hope this information lets you know how other companies handled the situation.

  67. Anonymous

    I think it's reasonable to ask them to book and pay for the air and hotel. As a new employee they need to be sensitive to the fact that it's a big spend for a brand new employee.

  68. Anonymous

    I previously ran a training department for outside sales reps across the country. We would require them at HQ for a week around their fourth week of employment. However, we handled all corporate travel, provided breakfast and lunch at the office, two dinners & as well as gave them a VISA card for all meals not covered. This is not something you should have to cover for corporate travel. Maybe checked bags or little fees but those would be reimbursed the last Friday of the month. I would absolutely have the conversation in a tactful manner expressing concerns with the cost & ask corporate travel to book it on your behalf.

  69. Bradford McCormick

    If they won't pay you shouldn't play. You do not need to ever step foot on "HQ", do you? You have a cellphone, Zoom and email, etc., yes? You know how to manage your time to be productive for the company, yes?

    Back in 1973, i wored as a low level computer programmer in an insurance ompany. They still flew me first class to IBM customer education classes all around the country. I never abused the expense account bu teach night I looed forward to a very good and occasionally gourmet dinner somewhere, not el cheapo food. Even more instructive:

    They had hired about a dozen of us as programmer trainees with the only requirements being that you had some sort of 4 year collgee degree and could think logically. This included everything from housewives to a dysfunctional young man with a PhD from Johns Hopkins University in anthropology.

    We started off with 6 weeks of full-time in-house classroom instruction in COBOL, AT FULL PAY.

    Times seem to have changed?

  70. Delores Jackson

    Why should you have to pay for your new job? This makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER!!!! If they cannot afford to pay for you to come to HQ, the obviously they can't afford you to work for them. This sounds sketchy. Stay clear away from them!

  71. Kristine Ryan

    Big fat NOPE. I can't imagine a company requiring an employee to cover the cost of travel.

  72. Melissa Nobile

    I’d ask them if they will be making the travel arrangements. If they say no, then ask how and when you will be reimbursed.

    Go from there.

    You should not have to pay for this out of pocket.

  73. Roberta Rosenberg

    I'd ask in a slightly more oblique way - What is your policy for T/E arrangements and costs for onboarding new hires - company paid or employee reimbursement?

    If they don't have a policy already in place, I might rethink this position entirely.

  74. Anonymous

    Many responses made the assumption that because you we’re asked to charge it to a personal credit card, that you wouldn’t be reimbursed. That’s not a solid assumption. I would get email verification that they will reimburse you for the travel. If it’s a problem to pay for it on your credit card because it may take 6 weeks to be reimbursed, ask if they can help with travel booking. If they are not willing to pay for you to travel, then look for another job.

  75. Anonymous

    If they want you to come out they should make arrangements on the travels and reimbursement. Regardless if it’s corporate card or personal. I don’t remember if I saw it in your initial post but was this mentioned during the interview process or it was brought up after the fact?

    Just be careful that this is a legitimate opportunity. I have read quite a few instances where people are starting to get scammed during the hiring/interview process. It’s a fairly new scam but I guess they look for ways that you can get money out of you by either paying to file forms, travel etc.

    Make sure that you have oversight and control of the details and not just provide them with your credit card to book something for you.

  76. Kimberly Graham

    If the travel was during the interview process I would expect the company to coordinate/pay. However, since you have already been hired, I would simply ask for the travel/expense policy.

  77. surfnwrite

    I can't imagine any scenario where you would have to foot the bill for this.

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