Travel??

[nswu1]

It has always been my experience that I get paid travel to and from site, whatever the distance. As for pay any time I go outside continental U.S. i get $6.00 more per hour,with a minimum hours per day at 12,plus exspenses with a slide scale per diem rate as well. Whatever the deal you negotiate with your company do make sure it it all spelled out in writing,as anything can happen after you return from the job. Also, I always demand a open ended return ticket that I hold on to just incase.

 

[harryting]

..One final question for anybody who travels regularly. You're in the airport, standing in the checkin line for your flight home after a startup. You hear your name called asking you to pick up the nearest courtesy phone for a message. Do you respond to the page?

Sure, if it's at HNL. ;-)

Hazard pay for Japan? Don't think so, Iraq, oh yes.

 

[ushidayo]

We often have engineers coming over here from Europe, I'll check out the normal daily expenses people get and post the results tomorrow morning when I'm back in the office.

The current going rate for expenses excluding hotel and travel is 15,700 yen per day. If you are working in the centre of a big city in Japan this is enough. If you are working in a small town, it's more than enough.

Japan is still a cash based society, not so many places except credit cards. Always carry plenty of cash (don't worry there aren't many pickpockets or muggers here) to pay the bill in restaurants, buy train tickets etc. The ATMs here close early and sometimes on holidays too, so beware!

 

[Beggar]

We are paid on salary so that's moot. We work like dogs, and are expected to. We use company plastic and local cash advances for all reasonable expensese (including a few drinks here and there, some movies, books, etc).

We get comp time on a 1 for 2 basis on weekend days and nada for week days.

The boss is cool. During our initial deployment in China, he popped for a weekend R&R in a high-end place in Hong Kong.

We fly coach unless we can get a reasonably priced upgrade.

 

[Beggar]

Oh yeah.

Company pays for international medical plan and evacuation insurance.

We've all had the experience of having our company plastic denied by a hotel or airline.

Nasty stuff.

 

[paulcs]

Always carry at least 2 credit cards, and probably three. If one gets lost, stolen , or maxed out; you have options. An ATM card from a major USA bank is often the best way to get spending cash while travelling. If you use a company credit card, the company sees all of the items. If you buy dinner at "Helen's House of Happiness" (a legit place), an accountant or HR person may give you grief. A reasonable food $$$ per diem is the easiest way to do it for all personal meals. We permit additional itemized meals if entertaining customers. Don't forget about the exchange rate and credit card adders when adding up your expenses.

Your trip might be the only one to that foreign country. Make sure that you spend some time to enjoy the people, culture, and activities.

 

[DBLD99]

Thailand

Actually I found out today it is Thailand, but anyway thanks for all your input.

 

[MartB]

One final question for anybody who travels regularly. You're in the airport, standing in the checkin line for your flight home after a startup. You hear your name called asking you to pick up the nearest courtesy phone for a message. Do you respond to the page?

NEVER answer a page at an airport, UNLESS you're in a really cool place you don't mind spending some more time in!

And YES, this has happened to me more than once


Also I totally agree with everything that has been said about using credit cards (I've had my company card cloned 5 times in the last 7 years), common sense and caution is the answer.
I was talking to an old friend of mine a day or two ago who got left with a $5000 credit card bill because the company were having financial 'issues'.

You'll often hear scare stories when it comes to travelling, but the reality is, if you can handle it, I would say it is one of the most humbling experiences and really makes you appreciate the world we live in.
I've been fortunate to have spent most of my working life travelling to some of the worlds most beautiful places, I've also visited some hell holes too. But no matter what, you'll come home with some GREAT stories to tell at the bar .

No matter where you are, if you have the right qualities for travelling, you will make friends (and hopefully true friends) and see 'the other side' of life on earth. If you're really lucky they'll take you to places the average person would never get to see.

Travel is not suited to everyone (often boredom can set it when you least expect it), but I'd still recommend it, it's been a big part of my life and I wish everyone could do it. It might make the world a little more tolerant of others if they did - well I can dream can't I ???


Mart B

 

[DeviceMaster-UP]

Per Diem Rates

Here's a site our company typically uses when calculating per diem rates for meals and hotel expenses when traveling internationally. There are also similar domestic tables we reference for US travel.

http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/58527.htm

I can't speak to the effect of how hourly employees are paid for their time though. Good luck!

 

[geniusintraining]

One final question for anybody who travels regularly. You're in the airport, standing in the checkin line for your flight home after a startup. You hear your name called asking you to pick up the nearest courtesy phone for a message. Do you respond to the page?

It's people like you and MartB that give plant managers heart burn... let me guess you also wrote the program in STL, put a password to keep everyone out, then told them that they will have years of trouble free service from this great (one of a kind) piece of #### that you over charged them for, capitalism at it's finest, it's great.

 

[davidg68124]

It's people like you and MartB that give plant managers heart burn... let me guess you also wrote the program in STL, put a password to keep everyone out, then told them that they will have years of trouble free service from this great (one of a kind) piece of #### that you over charged them for, capitalism at it's finest, it's great.

That is not the reason they said that. There are sometimes when you are on the road and you just want to go home. You might be looking forward to seeing your family or there is something really important you need to do. WHen a call like that comes, it is really hard to pick up....

David

 

[djbillyd007]

My Company is small and may be an exception. When I travel the tickets hotel, rental car ect.. are taken care of before I leave. Food and other is calculated before i leave and i get a check for that amount. when i get back i just turn in the receipts and the balance left over.

 

[Tom Jenkins]

One final question for anybody who travels regularly. You're in the airport, standing in the checkin line for your flight home after a startup. You hear your name called asking you to pick up the nearest courtesy phone for a message. Do you respond to the page?

Yes (almost always), but that's because it's my nickel. It is cheaper to stay over than make another trip. Besides, it's my personal reputation and future business on the line. This probably makes me more motivated than the average guy!

 

[Steve Bailey]

Maybe that question ought to be on those screening tests for potential new employees that we've been talking about lately.

 

[Beggar]

You're in the airport, standing in the checkin line for your flight home after a startup. You hear your name called asking you to pick up the nearest courtesy phone for a message. Do you respond to the page?

I don't get paged. I have a GSM phone with a SIM card for wherever I happen to be. The nice side is that the family can call me whenever it suits them.

More advice to international travelling newbies:

1) DO carry a GSM phone and keep your local contacts programmed in

2) DO carry two forms of ID (in addition to your passport) - and a copy of your passport and visa page. (I had the pleasure of finding my passport missing on the morning I was to leave China...)

3) Plan in advance what you're going to do in the case of a plant accident. Consider buying evacuation insurance and an international medical plan that has pre-screened clinics and local numbers staffed by speakers of your native tongue.

4) DO register on the State Department website so they know where to look for you in case of a natural disaster

5) Be clear up front with your hosts about what you will and won't eat. I couldn't help myself -- when they served up the pig leg/foot, I intended to be brave; when I found it to be cold (with congealed fat), I visibly recoiled.

I just can't bring myself to try the fish-head soup (though it's reported to be great).

Then there was the time I was at a table with a bunch of people. As the plates went around, I plucked an innocuous-looking piece into my mouth. The CEO of the customer looked at me and said, "I thought Americans didn't eat that..." I then spent 5 minutes watching them all try to figure out what it was. From the finger pointing, I *think* it was a kidney from something, but was never sure.

6) Recognize that just because your English-speaking interface nods and says, "yeah," doesn't mean they do understand. This one bit me several times, and nearly with disastrous results.

7) Bring your own PPE and LO/TO stuff. Don't expect them to practice safety as you might be used to.

8) Recgonize how long it can take to get stuff in some countries. In Europe, we're able to FedEx stuff over and get it within 24 hours. In China, it's never less than 2 weeks (it's in-country within 24 hours and then sitting in customs).

9) Please be polite and respectful of the culture in which you find yourself. I've gotten to know some people well enough for them to be honest -- we Americans have a bad reputation for being loud, obnoxious, and arrogant.