Travel Policy and Personal Travel Integration Maximizing Bleisure Benefits

Understanding Bleisure Travel The New Frontier of Corporate Travel

Hey there! Let's talk about something super cool that's changing the game in corporate travel: 'bleisure' travel. It's exactly what it sounds like – blending business with leisure. Think about it: you're already flying halfway across the world for a conference, why not tack on a few extra days to explore that new city or visit family? This isn't just a perk; it's becoming a strategic move for companies looking to boost employee morale, retention, and even save a few bucks. We're seeing a massive shift from rigid, business-only trips to more flexible arrangements that acknowledge employees are people with lives outside of work. This trend is particularly strong in the US and Southeast Asia, where long-haul flights are common and the desire to maximize travel opportunities is high.

Why Bleisure Matters Benefits for Employees and Employers

So, why should your company even consider allowing bleisure? The benefits are pretty compelling for both sides. For employees, it's a huge morale booster. Imagine finishing up a tough week of meetings and then getting to unwind on a beach or hike a mountain, all without the added stress and cost of a separate leisure trip. It reduces travel fatigue, improves work-life balance, and can even make employees more productive during their business portion of the trip because they have something to look forward to. It's a powerful tool for attracting and retaining top talent, especially in competitive markets. Who wouldn't want to work for a company that values their personal time?

For employers, the advantages might not be immediately obvious, but they're definitely there. First off, cost savings. When employees extend their trips, they often cover the leisure portion of their expenses, but the company still benefits from the initial business travel costs like flights, which are often the most expensive part. Plus, happier employees are more engaged and less likely to burn out, leading to higher productivity and lower turnover rates. It also positions your company as a modern, employee-centric organization, which is great for your brand image. It's a win-win situation if managed correctly.

Crafting Your Bleisure Policy Key Considerations and Best Practices

Alright, so you're on board with bleisure. Now, how do you actually put a policy in place that works for everyone? This is where the rubber meets the road. A well-defined bleisure policy is crucial to avoid confusion, manage expectations, and ensure compliance. Here are some key areas to consider:

Defining Business vs Leisure Clear Expense Allocation

This is probably the most critical part. You need crystal clear guidelines on what constitutes a business expense and what falls under leisure. For example, the flight to and from the business destination is typically a business expense. However, any additional flights for personal travel, extra hotel nights beyond the business portion, or leisure activities are on the employee's dime. Make sure your policy explicitly states this. It's also wise to specify that any changes to the original business itinerary for personal reasons (e.g., changing return dates) that incur additional costs are the employee's responsibility. Transparency here prevents headaches later.

Approval Processes Streamlining Bleisure Requests

How will employees request bleisure? Will it require manager approval? HR approval? Both? A streamlined approval process is essential. You don't want a bureaucratic nightmare that discourages employees from even trying. Consider using an online travel management platform that can flag bleisure requests and route them for appropriate approvals. This ensures that managers are aware of the extended leave and that the company's duty of care responsibilities are still met.

Duty of Care and Insurance Extending Coverage for Personal Days

This is a big one. While employees are on the business portion of their trip, they are typically covered by company insurance and duty of care policies. What happens during the leisure extension? Your policy needs to address this. Will the company's travel insurance extend to the leisure days, or will employees be required to purchase their own personal travel insurance? Most companies opt for the latter for the leisure portion to mitigate risk. Clearly communicate these boundaries. It's also important to remind employees that during their leisure time, they are responsible for their own safety and well-being, though the company might still offer emergency contact information or support in extreme circumstances.

Tax Implications Understanding the Rules for Bleisure

Tax can get tricky with bleisure, especially internationally. In some jurisdictions, if the leisure portion significantly outweighs the business portion, or if the employee gains a substantial personal benefit from the business travel, there could be tax implications for both the employee and the company. It's highly recommended to consult with tax professionals to ensure your policy aligns with local and international tax laws. Clearly outline any potential tax liabilities for employees in your policy.

Booking and Travel Management Tools Facilitating Bleisure

To make bleisure easy for everyone, you need the right tools. Here are a few types of platforms and how they can help:

Online Booking Tools OBTs for Seamless Integration

Many modern Online Booking Tools (OBTs) are designed to handle bleisure. They allow employees to book their business travel through the company portal and then easily add personal extensions. The key is that these tools can clearly separate business and leisure expenses, making reconciliation much simpler. They can also apply company discounts to the business portion while allowing employees to pay for their leisure additions with personal cards.

• SAP Concur: A powerhouse in travel and expense management. Concur Travel allows employees to book flights and hotels, and its expense module can easily differentiate between business and personal costs. It's highly customizable, so you can set up specific rules for bleisure. Typical Use Case: Large enterprises with complex travel needs. Pricing: Subscription-based, varies widely based on company size and modules used. Expect a significant investment.
• TripActions (now Navan): Known for its user-friendly interface and focus on employee experience. Navan offers a seamless booking experience and robust policy enforcement. It's great for companies that want to give employees flexibility while maintaining control. Typical Use Case: Mid-to-large companies prioritizing employee satisfaction and real-time data. Pricing: Subscription model, often perceived as premium, but offers good ROI through savings.
• Egencia (an Expedia Group company): Combines the power of Expedia's travel inventory with corporate travel management features. Egencia is strong for global companies, offering localized content and support. It handles bleisure well by allowing personal extensions to business trips. Typical Use Case: Global companies needing extensive inventory and local support. Pricing: Varies, often transaction-fee based or subscription.

Expense Management Software Simplifying Reimbursements

Even with OBTs, expense management software is crucial for tracking and reimbursing business expenses while clearly separating personal ones. These tools often integrate directly with OBTs and accounting systems.

• Expensify: Super popular for its ease of use and SmartScan technology. Employees can snap photos of receipts, and Expensify automatically categorizes them. It's excellent for separating business and personal expenses, as employees can simply mark certain items as personal. Typical Use Case: Small to medium businesses, or larger companies looking for a user-friendly, mobile-first solution. Pricing: Starts around $5 per user per month for basic plans, scales up for more features.
• Rydoo: Focuses on simplifying expense management with a strong mobile app and automated workflows. Rydoo allows for quick expense submission and approval, making it easy to manage bleisure-related costs. Typical Use Case: Companies seeking a modern, intuitive expense solution with global capabilities. Pricing: Subscription-based, typically starts around $7-10 per user per month.
• Certify (now part of Emburse): Offers comprehensive expense reporting and invoice management. Certify provides robust reporting features that can help track bleisure trends and ensure policy compliance. Typical Use Case: Mid-to-large enterprises needing detailed reporting and integration with ERP systems. Pricing: Varies based on features and user count, generally on the higher end.

Travel Risk Management Platforms Ensuring Safety During Bleisure

While employees are on their own for leisure, having a system that can still locate them in an emergency (with their consent, of course) is a good idea, especially for international bleisure.

• International SOS: A global leader in medical and security assistance. While primarily for business travel, companies can extend their services to cover leisure portions if they choose, or at least have a system to know where employees are in case of a major incident. Typical Use Case: Companies with significant international travel, prioritizing duty of care. Pricing: Custom quotes, can be substantial.
• WorldAware (now Everbridge): Provides intelligence and risk management solutions. Can be used to monitor global events and communicate with travelers, including those on bleisure extensions, if their itinerary is known. Typical Use Case: Organizations needing real-time threat intelligence and mass notification capabilities. Pricing: Custom quotes.

Communication and Training Educating Your Workforce on Bleisure

Having a great policy and awesome tools means nothing if your employees don't understand them. Clear and consistent communication is key. Hold training sessions, create easy-to-understand FAQs, and make sure the policy document is readily accessible. Emphasize the benefits of bleisure, but also clearly outline the responsibilities and limitations. Use real-world examples to illustrate what's covered and what's not. The more informed your employees are, the smoother the bleisure process will be.

Measuring Success and Iteration Optimizing Your Bleisure Policy

Like any good policy, your bleisure policy shouldn't be set in stone. Regularly review its effectiveness. Are employees utilizing it? Are there common pain points or misunderstandings? Are you seeing the expected benefits in terms of morale or cost savings? Use data from your travel and expense platforms to track trends. Gather feedback from employees and managers. Be prepared to iterate and refine your policy based on real-world experience. The goal is to create a policy that is flexible enough to be appealing but structured enough to be manageable and beneficial for the company.

Future Trends in Bleisure Travel What's Next

Bleisure isn't just a fad; it's evolving. We're likely to see even more integration of personal preferences into corporate travel programs. Think about personalized recommendations for leisure activities based on employee profiles, or even company-negotiated discounts for leisure extensions. The lines between work and life are blurring, and travel policies are adapting to reflect that. Companies that embrace this flexibility will likely have a competitive edge in attracting and retaining talent in the years to come. It's all about creating a travel experience that supports both business objectives and employee well-being.