| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/17/2006 3:47:11 PM | Wow, what a thread! I have actually worked in the hotel industry for the past 21 years, the last 10 years as a General Manager with Hyatt. First of all, Molonel has hit a lot of things directly on the head....he is a seasoned traveler. EB1, the cutie from Europe, seems like a very nice lady, but has had a couple of experiences (personal?) that has jaded her thoughts on this whole debate. However, I can tell you that the person travelling on business does, in fact, frequently have visitors to their room. For the most part the individuals (both male and female guests) are travelling on corporate business (called transient business travel) versus travelling with corporate groups (called Executive meetings or group business, depending on the agenda and size of the group). In most instances (I have worked at 12 Hyatt's and 8 Hilton's), group attendees do NOT (sorry Molonel - couldn't resist) generally ad lib on company business, although it does happen....and, quite frankly, no one gives a damn!! On the handful of occassions where it has become a problem is when a party breaks out in a group attendee's room, a lady of the evening steals something and a report is given, a wedding ring is lost, etc. That's more of an embarassment than anything else. Now, I do know that the on-site company leader will get pretty upset if anything happens to possibly reflect negatively on the group, as hotels (not the limited service or non-flagged franchises) will have a file on the group for possible repeat business. Things like this are kept (not the flogging part, just the "incident report" part that involves the hotel) in the groups file so it can be addressed, if necessary, on subsequent bookings. However, if a stripper/hooker/evening lady takes something out of one persons room, it would never make a headline. The situations that would call for being addressed on subsequent visits are generally party conditions where more than one room is involved. At that point, as a hotel, you have to protect your asset against this happening again. So, in summation, screw who you want, just don't do it flagrantly or cause the hotel to have to do an incident report.
Cheers! (EB1, when are you coming to Southern California next????) lol | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/18/2006 6:27:04 AM | Finallyphree:
Brilliant! Thanks for the post. Hope I don't sound too much like a corporate hack when I say that your comments added a lot of value .
Cheers indeed! | |
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EB1
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Joined: 7/31/2006
Msg: 28 | |
| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/18/2006 9:32:51 AM | I shall come to southern California sometime next year, but it's not a business trip.
I never did say that it does not happen, I just say it's not proper conduct while you are on business in somewhere.
It has been indeed interesting discussion.
Molonel has written from a travellers side of the view and I have written of the PA's side of the view.
I have seen few things and so have my former collegues in different companies.
All I have been trying to say, use your own common sense while travelling in business.
There is few website links I put in here and you get more by googling yourself.
This is the last comment on this subject since I do not think I can add anything more.
http://www.ehow.com/how_17591_behave-appropriately-business.html
And other one just for hearing stories
p.s.I have never talked that this not does happen, I have always said it's not a proper behaviour while in business trips.
Good luck everyone.
http://www.hour.ca/columns/messybedroom.aspx?iIDArticle=3399 | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/18/2006 11:08:14 AM | EB1, true, you never said it didn't happen. My main point to you, my attractive overseas lady, is that even though a company may be paying for an attendees room, very little, if anything, is made of what they do on their own time. The instance where it does become a problem is if anything happens to the attendee or their room that causes the hotel to have an incicent report drawn up. As a general course of action (at most full-service, name brand hotels) is to share any incident report with the on-site group contact. In those cases, I'm sure repurcussions do exist since it was caused a negative reflection on the attendees company.
More importantly, since it sounds like you are coming to Southern California next year for pleasure, are you just visiting friends, or going on a vacation with your husband? If it is the friends route, and you are single, may I buy you a glass (or bottle) of wine (or, if you prefer, beer shooters or shots of whiskey)??
Cheers | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/18/2006 11:47:00 AM | | Well hopefully your collegues aren't right next door lol!!!!! Or I would have to say make sure you put a sock in her mouth !!!! I would say go for it nothing wrong with it ! But keep it to yourself cause if your collegues find out you might get the rep at the office as being easy lol! | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/18/2006 11:51:51 AM | "That's why you have to work hard and become the boss, so noone can say anything to you? I think Bill Clinton tried that -- didn't work very well, did it?"
OMG that is so funny!!!
Now if i could only get the damn shadeing to work..agggggggggggggg | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/18/2006 10:36:06 PM | Well crap...I'm leaving on Monday for a business trip and I already have 2 dates lined up! Guess I better call them off............................NA!
I say unless they are paying you from 7pm until 7am as well.....thrash till ya crash! | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/19/2006 8:31:15 AM | I operate on a couple of rules:
1. Don't shit where you eat. Your job pays the bills. Your reputation on the job is important to success.
2. My time is mine to use as I see fit. If I am sexually engaged, it is not on the company's time and not governable by it. Even if it pays for the room. Your stance may vary depending on your comfort and worry about Company policy.
If, in the situation described, you are all in the same block of rooms, I would not due to reputation factors. Different floors is a different story. | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/19/2006 9:20:14 AM | Why should it matter if your company paid for the room? The reason they are paying for the room is so that you are available for the conference, training, etc. As long as you attend what you are there for, you're doing what they are paying you to do. Unless they pay you for your down time, what you off the clock is your own business as long as it is not illegal. (And that's just to protect your employer from potential liability)
Your company pays you for the work you do, can they dictate what you can spend your paycheck on? Your paycheck pays for your rent, can they dictate what you're allowed to do in your own house? | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/19/2006 9:52:59 AM | As long as you aren't sleeping with an employee or co-worker, who gives two shakes about it?
The company had no problems requiring you to leave the comforts of your home for their gain, why not use the hotel room as comfort for your gain? | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/19/2006 11:53:59 PM | | So are you married, in a relationship or single? What is the proximity of your room to others? If they see somone leaving how will that make you feel? How would it make them feel? It is obviously bothering you or you wouldn't ask......... | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/20/2006 3:01:19 PM | Yes, inappropriate.
Because I have seen some things at working off-site business meetings that would make your toes curl between business people and others in their "off-time" You really don't know whose seen what in your comings and goings and it is a touchy touchy issue when you are--plus you don't know if your one-night stand might opt for drama in the AM.
I've had to reprimand office mates who were "caught with their pants down" so to speak...not pretty. | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/20/2006 7:05:53 PM | The business doesn't get to regulate what you do behind closed doors, as a matter of fact I'm pretty sure they're not even going to want to know what's going on behind the closed door
Actually if they are paying for the room and anything actionable happens in that room the lawyer is going to go after the business. It has the deep pockets. So long as you are on the business trip you are a representative of the business. That means that if your fooling around, and say become too aggressive or she decides its rape not only do you have problems, so does the business. They gave you "opportunity" so to speak by providing the trip.
Now I have done some dating while on business trips (and paid for my dates expenses out of my own pocket) but I have always returned to my hotel room provided for by the company by myself. | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/20/2006 7:37:15 PM | What universe do you live in?
I think we are discussing two ends of the yard stick here. EB1 has got the legal issues and human resource policy issues down pat. (and yes there are some companies where people play fast and loose until the company gets sued.)
You on the otherhand, as a road warrior, know the history of life on the road. Unfortunately in our litigious society, that history is increasingly under attack. And there are also a lot of road warriors who "employ" themselves and can afford or choose to afford to take greater risks with the company when they own the company. Finally there are a lot of road warriors who don't consider the consequences or are willing to risk the consequences anyway. Sure there are a lot of people doing it. But as my mom always pointed out, if a lot of people jumped off of cliffs, would you want to do it? Its risky behavior and one should make decisions knowing the risks. Finally many, if not most, businessmen are salaried and not employed by the hour. So long as they are on the road trip they are legally considered an "agent" of the company on company business. That is how a lawyer will portray them in any litigation and it will be impossible to counter that unless they have taken steps to remove themselves from the business activity. Such steps might include, for example, renting another room at another hotel out of ones own pocket. | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/21/2006 10:57:13 AM | I travel with my work 48 weeks a year. If I find myself luky enough to find a person in town who feels compeled to come back to the room with me thats great. I stop at the desk and ask if there is an additional charge for her to be there. I guess I am gentleman enough to not get thrown out of the room or the hotel. More often than not the rest of the company does not know that I have had company since it is not everyones buisiness. I have been traveling far too long to not look for Ms. Right whild I travel. | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/21/2006 12:38:44 PM | A Big NO NO if you have a spouse or SO at home! I abhor this in people, both sexes.
But if you are single - why not?! | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/21/2006 1:58:26 PM | | I travel with my job. The hotel room is MINE, regardless who pays for it. I could care less if I brought a one-legged prostitute with a chimpanzee and chlamidia back to the room - on my time it is not company business. That's employment law, not opinion. | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/22/2006 4:12:47 PM |
I travel with my job. The hotel room is MINE, regardless who pays for it. I could care less if I brought a one-legged prostitute with a chimpanzee and chlamidia back to the room - on my time it is not company business. That's employment law, not opinion.
It certainly is a different "opinion" than I learned in law school. Perhaps you could quote statute and cases? | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/22/2006 4:31:16 PM |
Perhaps you could quote statute and cases?
Time to go back to law school then. There is no statute that provides employers to dictate the activities of the workers during non-work hours.
Further, there is no statute that states the accomodations paid for by an employee is subject to company policies and procedures. If the employee was required to follow company guidelines for conduct during the overnight stay, the employer would have to pay the wages during the night.
Now, I am talking about BC Emploment Standards Act - and maybe down in the US the rules are different, but I doubt it. | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/22/2006 5:32:39 PM | Prof 48 is correct. If a salaried person is traveling on business, they are "on duty" for the duration of the trip in the sense the company CAN (not automatically will) be held liable for the employees actions. I know from a hotel standpoint, where we have had to go the legal route to get restitution for damaged goods caused by an individual, we would go through the company directly if they were directly responsible (not via an employee expense report, although that is the next proof of burden) for the room charge. So, the deep pockets are the defendant pockets. Not that this is right, but it is true. I do not have any case examples off-hand, but I do know that Hyatt's Corporate legal team does, in fact, operate under the premise of holding company's responsible for their employees when under a "master bill" scenario.
Cheers (hi EB1!!!!) | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/22/2006 7:52:14 PM | know from a hotel standpoint, where we have had to go the legal route to get restitution for damaged goods caused by an individual, we would go through the company directly if they were directly responsible (not via an employee expense report, although that is the next proof of burden) for the room charge.
Actually, if the employee pays for their room out of their own pocket, not on a company credit card, but under their own name for reimbursement later - the hotel CANNOT go after the company for any damage. Further than that, if the person signed in on their own, under their name, how would a hotel know what company they are with?
Your argument only wokrs if the charge is to the company directly - ie: company charge card, billed to the company | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/22/2006 9:20:49 PM | I see no problem with having a little fling while away on business no matter who is paying for the room! The big rule is don't have the fling with any of your colleagues! It never stays a secret and just causes embaassment for everyone involved.
In this particular siruation, there is no difference between having a one night stand with someone you just met or meeting an old boy/girlfriend for dinner while you're in town and old sparks fly, one thing leads to another and you end up in your hotel room. When you get to the point of taking prostitutes back to your room it's different story all together because that's illegal, not to mention really gross!
I have to wonder about the type of people who cause damage to the hotel room or cause incident reports to be filed? If you're having this issue, maybe you should be a little more discriminating about who you bring back to your room! | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/22/2006 10:35:11 PM | | most men do it and most companies don't investigate or mind the "write offs" | |
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EB1
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Joined: 7/31/2006
Msg: 49 | |
| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/23/2006 7:20:29 AM | Ok, time to go to the original question that the OP asked, which was this:
[Is it inappropriate to pick-up and have a one-night stand in your hotel room, or is this a violation of business/workplace ethics?]
My head is starting to spin now.
We all know what is happening and what is not happening in business trips. I was only answering to the OP's question(read it again, please).
Answer still is, Yes, it's inappropriate and a violation of business/workplace ethics.
I'm not even native English speaker, but I can understand the question.
Good day!
(Hi finallyphree) | |
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| Business Travel and Sex
Posted: 10/23/2006 9:27:20 AM |
There is no statute that provides employers to dictate the activities of the workers during non-work hours.
Have you considered the issue of agency? When you are on a business trip in a room paid for by the business you are considered an agent of the company. Especially if you are salaried. You make it sound like everyone is paid "by the hour." | |
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