When Business Meets Leisure

By Abby Blackburn, Leisure Team

Consider this scenario: an employee travels to Miami, Florida, for a conference scheduled from Wednesday to Friday. Traditionally, they'd fly in on Tuesday evening, attend the conference, and depart on Friday afternoon. With a bleisure-friendly policy, that same employee could extend their stay through the weekend, exploring Miami's vibrant culture, relaxing on its beautiful beaches, or simply unwinding after a string of meetings and networking.

This blending personal time into business trips – bleisure – isn't just a nice-to-have; it’s essential and becoming more commonplace. Included in a corporate travel policy, it works by:

• Helping employees recharge
• Boosting well-being
• Elevating job satisfaction
• Fostering an engaged team 

The modern travel policy

In 2021, approximately 20% of Airbnb's bookings were for stays of a month or longer, reflecting a larger trend of guests extending their visits for family, tourism, work, or conferences. But bleisure is so much more than enjoying a few extra days in an exciting destination. It's a proactive tool for encouraging healthy work-life balance, attracting and retaining talent, and staying competitive.

A key consideration is often the price of airfare. If the cost for a ticket with an extended stay is the same as, or even less than, a direct business-only return, companies are increasingly willing to cover that expense. 

Business travel can be demanding, but this simple adjustment in travel policy demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being without significantly impacting the bottom line. It’s a smart, cost-effective investment in human capital. It also signals that an organization values its employees not just for their output, but for their overall health and happiness. 

Get bleisure-friendly

Organizations of all sizes and sectors have the ability to develop and refine travel policies. Integrating bleisure, while not difficult, requires careful consideration and clear guidelines: 

• Define "Bleisure" Clearly: Establish what constitutes a bleisure trip within your policy. This includes defining eligible expenses, duration of the leisure extension, and approval processes. Clarity avoids confusion and ensures consistent application.
• Airfare Policy: Explicitly state the company's stance on airfare for bleisure trips. The most common approach is to cover the airfare if the cost for the extended trip is equivalent to or less than the business-only trip.
• Accommodation and Ground Transportation: Clarify who is responsible for accommodation and ground transportation costs during the leisure portion of the trip. Typically, the employee covers these expenses, but your policy should say it.
• Travel Insurance: Review your existing travel insurance policy to ensure it covers the leisure portion of the trip, or advise employees to secure their own coverage for the extended period. Duty of care remains paramount.
• Manager Approval Process: Implement a clear approval process for bleisure requests. This ensures alignment with business needs, budget constraints, and operational considerations.
• Communication and Education: Share the new bleisure policy widely, including examples and FAQs. Help them maximize the benefit.
• Duty of Care: Emphasize that while employees are on their leisure extension, they are still expected to adhere to company policies and act responsibly, even during their personal time.

Everyone deserves well-being

Bleisure is not just a passing trend; it's a reflection of an evolving understanding of work-life integration and employee well-being. By thoughtfully incorporating it into your travel policy, you're not just offering a benefit; you're making a strategic investment.

Learn how to optimize your business travel costs – even with "bleisure" extensions. Then, utilize a platform that makes it easy to handle both the business and leisure parts of a trip. Your employees will thank you.