As corporate travel becomes more and more common in the United States, more workers are choosing to take their families with them on their business trips. This allows corporate travelers to not miss out on important time with their family while also still allowing them to go about their business. A win-win, right?
Well, not always. Balancing work time with family time while on a corporate trip is hard because as much as you wish it was, it isn’t an actual vacation for the person working. The pressures of catering to work responsibilities as well as family responsibilities while on the road can drive anyone crazy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Read on to find out some easy tips for staying sane with your family on a corporate trip:
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Make Sure the Trip is Conducive to Bringing Your Family
The first rule for staying sane on your corporate trip with your family is to make sure that you’ve picked the right trip to take them on. Bringing your family on a trip that will be rather intensive work-wise can create tension since you’ll have barely any time to spend with your family without distracting from your work. This is especially true on trips where you have to make an important presentation or run meetings. Instead, bring your family on trips where you’ll have a good amount of downtime or where you don’t need to spend lots of time preparing for work.
Make Sure the Trip is in the Right Location
Location, location, location. This principle applies to corporate travel with families as much as it does in real estate. Make sure that your family actually wants to go to the location and that there is plenty for them to do when you get there since you’ll be off working for a good portion of the trip. Family-friendly and warm locations like San Diego, Anaheim, and Orlando are always favorites – but your family might be a little bored and start driving you crazy if you take them to Calgary in February.
Set Time Aside for Your Family
Not only should you make sure the business trip is conducive to bringing your family and in the right location, you also have to carve out time to actually have fun with your family once you get there. Find gaps in your work schedule to do something touristy and fun, or come a day or two early or late so you can make a mini-vacation out of the trip. Mixing in some family fun in the trip with make it much better for both you and your family.
Help Your Family Create an Itinerary
The last thing you want to do is just leave your family with nothing to do while you attend work functions. That will make them bored and miserable for the whole trip. Instead, help them to create an itinerary and plan all the fun thing they can be doing while you are working. That way you can sync up your and your family’s schedules so that they can have fun while you work, but you can also easily find meet them during your downtime.
Bring Them to Work Events
More and more companies and work events are becoming family-friendly. Depending on what kind of work you do, you can even bring your family with you to corporate events (which sometimes have dedicated family sections). If you need to have a business dinner or lunch, check with your client as well to see if it would be appropriate to bring your family along. Some are surprisingly welcoming and enthusiastic about having your family join in.
With these tips, you can make sure that you stay sane when you take your family on a corporate trip. If you’re looking for family-friendly corporate housing that beats just a normal hotel, try PC Housing. Our business-centered apartments are great for the whole family and will make you feel right at home. Contact us today to find out more.