Comments on: Answers to tricky HR questions: Room-sharing travel policies

By: jb

jb — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:36:34 +0000

How about suites? Some suite hotels cost almost the same as a regular room and there are two rooms. Executive Suites Hotels is one that does that. They may not be right where the conference is but are usually in a quite and safe environment. That would be the best of both worlds…

By: kristie

kristie — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:33:19 +0000

I work for a company where out of town travel occurs two to three nights a week. We are three to one female to male. We travel many hours in vehicles, perform our jobs, and then are required to share rooms. More often than not the men get their own rooms and women share. We have one employee who always gets his own room due to excessive snoring. Is this fair treatment, as I myself have been accused of loud sleeping habits, and am not getting my own room. The other alternative is the snoring man usually is not assigned on mobiles requiring overnight travel as often as the rest of us. I understand trying to save money, and I am more than willing to do my part. When one employee is treated differently from the rest it can cause some disgruntled employees. We also have a male and female employee who are dating and they are given a room to share together. What are the legal rights to all employees on these matters. Thanks

By: frank

frank — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:24:57 +0000

We are crossing this bridge right now. My question is: They are requiring department heads to share rooms with subordinates (It fell that way due to same sex rooms). As a department head, are wet putting ourselves in a situation where a subordinate could falsely accuse a supervisor of inappropriate actions. Then this Department head/supervisor’s career could be devastated. There would be no witness no way to combat the accusation. Then the company would also be included in a lawsuit for forcing the room sharing?? Am I off Base with this…seems like basic risk management would avoid supervisors “Sleeping” with subordinates??

By: kassie

kassie — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:59:46 +0000

Is it legal for a company to force opposite sex employees to share a room?

By: Becky

Becky — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:25:27 +0000

I can understand the need in some instances to share rooms. Such as the person from Florida saying it would be cost prohibitive. I would rather share a room and have a job!!
On the other side of the coin, I think what is good for the employees is good for the management. We just had a couple weeks of training at our Corporate office and were told we would have to share rooms. I really did not want to do that. I have no health issues or bathroom issues. To make a long story short, after the training was over our CFO and Regional Managers came to town and low and behold, they did not have to share a room.
I think what is good for one is good for all. I think that just showed a lack of character and made the employees realize how undervalued they really are.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:03:33 +0000

I work for a company that typically provides separate rooms for employees when they travel, but they have decided to change the rules for an upcoming conference. The reason given was to save money. I was never notified that this was going to be the case when I was asked if I wanted to go to this conference. In fact they are providing individual rooms for certain employees for a portion of the conference. Is there a tact full way of questioning this decision as they have established a precedent with previous business trips and is this legal?

By: RJ

RJ — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:21:08 +0000

I worked for the Prosecutors Office a few years back and every year for the annual conference, employees always had to double up on hotel rooms. Imagine my astonishment after being there only 1 1/2 weeks before the first conference I attended was to begin and being told I had to share a room with, at that time, a complete stranger! During the next few years, I never got used to it and never looked forward to attending the mandatory conferences. With such a young office, the comings and goings throughout the night were ridiculous! And, yes, each year during the weeks after the conference there were many “transfers”, “suspensions” and “resignations to pursue other endeavors.” I, for one, am not a big fan of sharing hotel rooms with co-workers.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:33:38 +0000

flowjoe64 – I have no idea what would make you think that the concept of sharing a room is HR’s idea. For the most part, feedback on this site is contributed by HR professionals and frankly, I’m reading a whole lot of “no thanks to sharing”. So, we are not insane nor are we dishonorable. And I am so insulted by your last sentence, I can’t even bring myself to address it. Perhaps if you took some time to actually read through the comments, you would have understood the content.

Three years ago, the entire eastern region of HR professionals were attending a company-required conference in Colorado. We were required to share rooms. However, if you were willing to pay the difference (and rooms were available), or if you had a medical reason for not sharing, you could have a private room. I was absolutely appalled at this policy. With so few private rooms available, I decided to save those for people who really needed them and just went with the program. I was fortunate to be roomed with a terrific HR buddy from another state. We had a lot in common and had a great time. But horror stories did abound, including the one who roomed with the guy who snored all night long.

With the amazing array of electronic opportunities we have available to us, if a company can’t afford private rooms, then perhaps video conferencing is a better option.

By: wshope

wshope — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:09:45 +0000

What i really need to know is there a law stating that they can make me stay with another employee… If not I need some kind of publication stating so. Thank you

By: flowjoe64

flowjoe64 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:13:12 +0000

THIS IS RIDICULOUS. AN INVASION OF PERSONAL PRIVACY AND TRAVESTY. FOR A COMPANY TO DICTATE THAT YOUR PERSONAL AFTER HOURS SPACE AND BATHROOM MUST BE SHARED WITH EITHER A STRANGER< SOMEONE WHOS HYGIENCE YOU HAVE NO HISTORY OF,AND SOMEONE WHO’s MORNING RITUALS MAY PREVENT YOU FROM EVEN HAVING ACCESS TO A BATHROOM WHEN YOU DECIDE YOU NEED IT, OR WHEN NATURE CALLS. FORCING ME TO BE ON MY BEST BEHAVIOR< EVEN IN MY DOWN TIME< AND BEING AWOKEN IN THE MORNING BY ANOTHER PERSON IN MY ROOM< WHO MAY GET UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN…MAY SNORE< KEEPING ME AWAKE…MAY FART ONGOINGLY… AND THEN THE MALE COUNTERPARTS, WHO ARE FEW, AND THE MANAGERS..GET THEIR OWN PERSONAL ROOMS??? WOW, THAT SHOWS A TOTAL LACK OF RESPECT FOR THE EMPLOYEE, AND WOULD ALSO SHOW YOU HOW LITTLE YOU ARE VALUED AS A PROFESSIONAL. I WILL PAY THE EXTRA $40 BUCKS A DAY OR WHATEVER THE MINISCULE DIFFERENCE IS, FOR ME TO HAVE MY OWN SPACE. NONE OF THESE HR PEOPLE WILL AGREE, AS THEY ARE PID BY THE COMPANY AND DO NOT CARE ABOUT HAIVNG A HAPPY EMPLOYEE. THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE T PROTECT THE COMPANYS INTEREST, NOT THE EMPLOYEES (UNLESS YOU FORCE THEM TO BY USING A LEGAL ISSUE THEY MIGHT BE COMPELLED TO HONOR)

YOU HR PEOPLE ARE ALL COMPLETELY INSANE. COMPLETELY DISHONORABLE, POTENTIALLY DEMEANING THING TO REQUIRE OUT OF AN EMPLOYEE. WE ARE NOT YOUR SLAVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!