…for a three hour party. Not a wedding or anything like that - this is a cocktail party for work. No meetings that day, just fly in for the party and fly back the next day. Between airfare, hotel, cabfare, etc. this will run around $750 and cost me two days of productivity.
Let it be said that as a remote employee I certainly do appreciate the sentiment and the offer - I don’t get to go to the company Christmas parties, the impromptu after work drinks and the constant emails indicating there is leftover birthday cake in the breakroom can wear you down.
This time, though, I think I’d appreciate it if you sent me $200 for a nice tray of canapes and a jug of wine and set up a webcam.
Ah, what the hell. When I put the ticket on my airline card, plus the online booking bonus and the actual miles, I’m nearly earning a free ticket for the trip.
Wait…what? Are you required to go to this shindig? Why are you doing this?
And if you are required to go, for some reason, why isn’t the company you work for picking up the tab for your transit?
Why the fuck are you paying for that? That is the company’s job. My mega-corp flies people in for short visits all the time but you better bet your ass that every cent is paid for down to the 50 cent pack of gum at the airport. That is what we call “normal”. Why are you getting screwed like that might we ask?
I didn’t mean to imply that I’m paying for this. It all gets expensed, believe me. I’m just kind of shocked that there wasn’t even an attempt to put together a half day in the office the next day.
It’s fly in, party, fly home.
Crap! I once flew to the East Coast for a new business presentation and was told I could hang out for a VP’s going-away party that evening and fly back the next day.
And I felt guilty about THAT.