How To Find a Career Coach

Are you looking for a career coach? You may be considering working with a coach if you just got laid off, are contemplating an industry change, or want to level up in your career. There are tons of coaches and professional resume writers out there, but how do you find the right one?

What steps do you take to vet them? Are there best practices when it comes to finding and selecting a career coach? Keep reading. In this article, I share proven strategies to help you find and select the best one for you.

3 Steps To Find a Career Coach

Let’s get started. The following are three steps to help you find the best career coach for your needs.

1. Consult industry associations.

Because the career industry is unregulated, anyone can claim to be a career coach. I recommend starting your research by turning to top career and resume writing industry associations such as Career Directors International (CDI), Career Thought Leaders (CTL), and the National Résumé Writers’ Association (NRWA) to identify suitable coaches. Read through the coach’s profile to get an understanding of their credentials, the clients they serve, and the services they offer.

Tip: If you’re a college student or graduate, check with your career services office to see if they can help with career advising and coaching.

2. Ask for recommendations.

As you begin to narrow down your search for a coach, you can also ask for recommendations from people you trust. Your friends, family members, and mentors may be able to recommend a career coach or professional resume writer they trust.

If you are publicly looking for a new job, you can also use social media to crowdsource recommendations. Along a similar line, you can review top career coach lists online.

3. Consider the career influencers you already follow.

Take a little time to think about the career experts you admire. Are there influencers you already follow on social media? Whose articles do you turn to for advice? Perhaps you heard someone speak at an industry conference. One of these career experts may be a good fit for you.

How To Choose a Career Coach

Now that you have identified potential experts to support you, how do you select the best one? I recommend starting by reviewing their social media presence. This allows you to quickly get a sense of their Zone of Genius and see if their career advice resonates with you. You can also observe the more personal side of their brand and take note of how they interact with their community.

But social is just the first step in researching coaches. While anyone can build an impressive social media following, you want someone who is a true expert in your industry, who can effectively address your unique pain points. What industry events does the prospective coach speak at? In what publications do they appear? How compelling is the brand they have created for themselves? Be careful. If the coach cannot successfully market themselves, how will they help market you?

Next, look closely at the testimonials they have received. How similar are you to these clients? Can you see yourself in their stories? Importantly, you want to ensure the testimonials are legitimate, verified, and from one-to-one coaching clients. Personally, I request all my testimonials via LinkedIn, which gives them greater legitimacy.

Important: The career industry is unregulated. As part of your due diligence, ask about your prospective coach’s credentials, education, and advanced training. You deserve a coach who is truly committed to the profession. Be cautious if they have not pursued advanced training in the field.

Finally, speak one-to-one with several coaches to find the best one for you. Learn more about their coaching philosophy, style, and pricing. Each coach should provide you ample time to answer any questions you have. Then, choose the coach with whom you feel the greatest connection and confidence. You’ve got this!

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Tips for Paying it Forward During a Job Search

In a competitive job market, everyone who is job seeking wants to find a new position as quickly as possible. Although it’s important to keep in mind your best interests, helping fellow job seekers advance their careers can inspire them to provide similar assistance to you and others in the future.

Whether or not you believe in that old adage, “What goes around, comes around,” you might want to consider how you can incorporate acts of kindness and concern for others into your job search. After all, human nature predisposes us towards reciprocation, and some of the people you help may end up in positions where they can return the favor.

Of course, doing good for others is intrinsically rewarding regardless of whether there is any payback.  Doing good feels good, and even a little act of kindness and a few minutes of your time can make a big difference in the outcome of a friend or family member’s job search.

Tips for Paying it Forward During a Job Search

There are countless ways that you can pay it forward while in job search mode.  The following tips will give you a few ideas about meaningful actions that will be beneficial to others – and may turn out to help you too.

Share job leads and introductions. If you know of a friend, acquaintance or coworker looking for a job in your field of expertise, or in a field where you have resources and connections, offer to help, whether by funneling job leads to them or introducing them to colleagues.

Proofread job application materials. Offer to proofread and review the resume or cover letter of a friend, and provide suggestions for strengthening the document. See if they’ll do the same for you! Another pair of eyes can help pick up typos you missed. Review these tips for updating a resume before you get started.

Help with an interview outfit. Does your friend desperately need an outfit for an upcoming interview, but doesn’t have the resources – financial, time or otherwise – to shop? Share an interviewing outfit with an individual in need. Or, if you can afford it, get them a gift certificate so they can choose their own outfit.

Contact your college. Alumni networking is one of the most effective ways for graduates to find jobs. Contact the career office at your school and offer to serve on a career panel or participate in an alumni job fair.  Suggest that your job seeking friends check to see what services their career and alumni offices provide.

Take your friend to lunch or coffee. If you have a friend who’s looking for a job or a former colleague who is now unemployed, treat him and her to lunch or coffee and a morale building session.

Set up a job shadow. Host a job shadow visit at your organization for a friend, colleague or student intrigued by your work.

Endorse and recommend on LinkedIn. Compose and submit LinkedIn recommendations for associates. Endorse your contact’s skills on LinkedIn. The more robust their (and your) LinkedIn profile is, the better your chances of getting found by helpful connections and recruiters. Here are simple tips for spiffing up your LinkedIn profile.

 Make some introductions. If you’re still employed or have connections at your former organization, introduce job seekers to colleagues who work in departments related to their interests. You can send an “e-introduction” via email, or if your interests overlap, arrange a group coffee or lunch meeting.

 Practice interviewing. Offer to help your friends or colleagues with their interviewing skills. Take turns posing as the interviewer and interviewee to mutually improve your interview technique. The more you both practice, the better the impression you’ll make. Review these tips for acing a job interview.

Refer someone to a job. Recommend another, more suitable candidate if you discover a job isn’t a good fit for you but the employer holds you in high regard.

 Organize a job club or meet up. Organize a job search group or “meet up” to share advice and contacts, review each other’s cover letters and resumes, and practice interviewing.

Offer to provide a reference. Call a contact at an employer of interest for a former colleague or a trusted friend seeking a job, and offer to give a recommendation.

Keep in touch. A job search can take a while, so remember to check back every now and then to see how your job seeking connections are doing. Even a quick email or social media message will show your support.

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Can You Get Fired for Job Searching?

There are all kinds of reasons why you might be tempted to tell your boss that you’re looking for a new job. Maybe you like your current role, except for the paycheck, and hope that sharing your search might inspire the company to offer you a raise. Perhaps you’re close to your manager and feel weird about leaving them out of the loop. Or maybe you’re just fed up and would like to see leadership squirm a bit without having to wait for a new job offer.

After all, what’s the worst that can happen? It’s not like they can fire you for job searching.

Except that it is like that. In most cases, your employer can absolutely terminate your job if they find out that you’re interviewing for other roles. Here’s why (and what to do instead).

How Your Job Hunt Can Get You Fired

If you’re like most U.S. workers, you’re employed at will, which means that you can be fired at any time, for almost any reason, without cause or notice. Private-sector employees in every state except Montana are considered at-will employees unless they’re covered by an employment contract or collective bargaining agreement.

So, unless you’re a member of a union or have a contract that explicitly states that you can’t be fired for job searching, you can be let go if your boss finds out you’re looking for a new gig.

What About Employment Discrimination?

Employment discrimination is against the law. However, the legal definition of employment discrimination is fairly narrow and covers only protected classes.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces laws that prohibit discriminating against employees or job candidates based on characteristics like race, color, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, and age (age 40 or older). The EEOC also protects you from retaliation if you’re a whistleblower, which usually means a current or former employee who complained about discrimination.

You may also have legal cover if you’ve joined in a protected activity like discussing wages with your co-workers. The National Labor Relations Act prohibits employers from preventing workers from discussing their pay.

However, there are no federal legal protections regarding job searching. In most cases, employers will be within their rights to terminate your employment if they find out that you’re looking for a new job.

How To Job Search While You’re Employed

Looking for work while you’re employed means figuring out how to be discreet while applying and interviewing. Obviously, this can be pretty challenging if you work 9-to-5, especially if you’re expected to come into a physical office or workplace. But it’s doable.

Don’t Use Company Resources

According to Gartner, around 60% of large U.S. employers use employee monitoring software. These tools can show employers when workers log on and off, which sites and apps they visit, even how when and how much they’re using your keyboard or mouse. In most states, your employer doesn’t even have to tell you when they’re using these programs, which means that you may not know when you’re being watched. This makes life harder for sneaky job seekers who might otherwise answer recruiters’ messages or schedule interviews on company time.

To make sure your job hunt stays private, avoid using any company tools for your efforts. Ideally, this would mean sticking to after-work hours for job searching. But if your work schedule makes that challenging, at least be sure that you’re using your own phone and mobile devices to search for jobs, research employers, and communicate with hiring managers and recruiters.

If you’re used to using the company network while you’re in the office, now’s a good time to break that habit. Even if you’re on your own device, your employer may be able to see any information you transmit over their network.

Keep Your Job Search to Yourself

Having friends at the office makes the workday easier, more fun, even more productive. But no matter how close you are to your colleagues, think twice about sharing your job search with them. Not everyone is good at keeping secrets.

Avoid Lying (but Don’t Tell the Whole Truth)

One of the trickiest things to navigate during a secret job search is scheduling job interviews. If possible, it’s often best to use paid time off for this purpose. If you have paid vacation time, personal time, or some other non-sick-day time off, use it. When you do, be as vague as possible. No one is entitled to details about your personal life, regardless of whether you’re interviewing.

If you don’t have PTO, you’ll have to be trickier. Keep it simple and avoid lying when you can. Read up on company policy, so that you won’t be surprised by a request for a doctor’s note or other documentation.

Above all, remember that your ultimate loyalty should be to yourself and your career. Even the best employer would lay you off in a heartbeat if it were in their financial best interests. Be on your own side.

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How Long Does It Take To Find a New Job?

Looking for a new job? You’re not alone. Many job seekers considering a career move. Yet there is uncertainty about the length of the typical job search, particularly in today’s uncertain job market.

In fact, “How long does it take to find a new job?” is one of the most common questions I am asked as a career coach and job search expert.

How Long it Can Take to Find a Job

The honest answer is, it depends. Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent report, the average duration of unemployment is approximately five months. However, this data does not paint a full picture, as it only includes Americans who are unemployed and does consider your industry, target role, or unique situation.

There are several additional factors to how long it will take to find your next job. These include your background and experience, the competitiveness of your industry, and how much time and effort you put into your search. Luck also plays a part. You must take all of these into consideration when predicting the length of your job search.

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to find a new job faster. Here are five proven ways to speed up your search:

How To Get Hired Fast

1. Get clear on your target role.

To begin, you want to get crystal clear on your target role. Job seekers often cast a wide net in the hopes of landing a job quicker, but this can backfire, as it can make you seem indecisive and underwhelms recruiters. Instead, you want to be specific about the type of role you want. Rather than targeting all “human resources” or “marketing” openings, for instance, consider which specific functional area you are drawn to, as well as the scope of responsibility you desire.

While you are at it, you also want to be explicit about the company type you are targeting. For example, do you want to work at a Fortune 100 company, a hyper-growth startup, or something in between? Take some time to reflect on your dream company, then make a spreadsheet of some targets, bookmark their careers pages (example: jobs.disneycareers.com), and check back weekly for openings that align with your requirements.

2. Update your resume.

Next, take the time to ensure your resume is not only up to date but also tailored to the target role you outlined in step 1. As you apply to roles, be sure to customize your resume to each opportunity. Remember that you do not need to rewrite your resume for each role you apply to. Instead, spend 20 to 30 minutes per application, strategically inserting keywords from the job listing into your resume and doublechecking that you’re addressing each requirement in the posting.

3. Optimize your LinkedIn profile.

Next, you want to take time to update and optimize your LinkedIn profile. This not only helps recruiters and hiring managers find you on the platform but also gives you a great resource when networking with prospects at your target company. Focus your attention on your headline, ensuring your target role is clearly listed, then add relevant keywords from your target job postings to your summary and experience. You don’t want to leave readers guessing about the roles you are seeking or the skills you possess.

4. Harness the power of networking.

 Remember that list of dream companies from step one? Revisit it regularly to see if you have any contacts working in your target roles. If you do, request an informational interview to learn more about the organization’s culture and hiring process, then request an introduction to the hiring manager. If you don’t have any contacts at your target companies, try leveraging LinkedIn to build out your network. Team Blind and Fishbowl can also help you build a network, especially if you are looking to break into the tech industry.

5. Invest in professional help.

Lastly, consider seeking out the help of a career coach to support you in your job search. The process of finding a new role can be challenging. Partnering with a trained professional can help you refine your job search strategy as well as identify barriers that may be standing in the way of landing your next role. You’ve got this!

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10 Tips To Instantly Boost Your Resume

Have you been on the job hunt for a while now? And, perhaps, despite submitting application after application, you’ve still not had any luck. Do you need to get your resume noticed by hiring managers?

We know the process can begin to feel disheartening, but don’t give up just yet. By making a few simple tweaks to your resume, you can seriously increase your chances of landing your dream role. 

How To Boost Your Resume

Here are 10 tips you can use to instantly boost your resume and boost your chances of success: 

1. Cut It Down 

Your resume should never be longer than two pages, but if you can cut it down to just one page, that’s even better! 

Recruiters don’t have much time to read through each individual application, so you should aim to get your key selling points across as concisely as possible. Just cut out any unnecessary information or fluff and aim for a short, sweet, and punchy document. 

2. Ditch the Clichés 

Recruiters read hundreds of resumes and are faced with the same cliché phrases time and time again. 

 The likes of “Always gives 110%” and “Determined go-getter with an amazing work ethic” might sound impressive, but they prove absolutely nothing to recruiters.

 So, ditch these overused buzzwords and focus your resume on hard facts, achievements, and skills instead.

3. Add Facts and Figures 

Showcasing your achievements on your resume is a great way to prove your value, and the best way to do this is by adding facts and figures. Quantifying your achievements shows how you can add real impact to an employer.

 For example, rather than merely stating that you’ve got digital marketing skills, you could say, “My SEO strategy increased traffic to the company website by 34% in six months.”

Review these tips for using numbers to quantify your achievements on your resume.

4. Remove the Jargon 

While you might be clued up on all the industry-specific terminology, acronyms, and jargon, you should avoid using these too frequently in your resume. 

Remember, the recruiter or HR personnel reading your resume might not understand what these mean and, therefore, won’t understand how they add value. 

5. Utilize Bullet Points 

Bullet points can be helpful for breaking up big chunks of text and aiding the readability of your resume.

Use them to list your key skills and responsibilities in your employment history section, as well as anywhere else you feel it’s appropriate. 

 This will make it far easier for the recruiter to navigate through the document and digest the information. 

6. Simplify your Design 

You might think that choosing a quirky or bold design will help you stand out, but overdoing it can be quite distracting and take the focus away from the all-important written content.

Therefore, it’s best to simplify your design, so it’s easier for the recruiter to scan through and find all the information they need. 

Tip: Use Canva’s free resume templates to create a professional customized resume.

7. Perfect Your Top Quarter 

The top quarter of your resume is the first thing a recruiter reads and should contain a punch professional summary and core skills list.

Be sure to spend time perfecting these sections – if recruiters don’t like what they read, they might move straight onto the next application.

Aim to make it short, snappy, and attention-grabbing. These two sections should put forward your key selling points, capabilities, and achievements and entice the reader to read further.

8. Focus on your Hard Skills 

While soft skills (teamwork, communication, flexibility, etc.) certainly have their place in the workplace, it’s more important to showcase your hard skills on your resume. 

Hard skills (coding, speaking a language, medical knowledge, project management, etc.) show the employer you’ve got the technical skills required to succeed in the role. 

For this reason, try to prioritize space for your hard skills and, where possible, back them up with qualifications, certifications, and examples to show recruiters why you’d be a good fit for the position. 

9. Tailor Every Resume 

Every resume you submit should be tailored to the specific position and company you’re applying to. To do this, research the company before you begin writing and use the job description to help inform your resume content.

Your aim should be to match the job requirements as closely as possible. Every sentence in your resume should prove your suitability, while anything that’s totally irrelevant to the role should be deleted.

10. Ask for Feedback 

Lastly, if you’re feeling disheartened and can’t understand why your resume wasn’t successful, it’s a good idea to ask for feedback. 

Most recruiters will be happy to oblige, and this can help you to improve for next time. So, get in touch with the recruiter for the last role you applied for and politely ask for some constructive feedback. 

Then, adapt your resume to suit. Continue to do this for each role you apply for, and you’ll consistently improve your chances as time goes on!

Read More: Resume Basics: Writing and Formatting Your Resume

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10 Ways To Boost Your Productivity at Work

Are you looking for ways to improve your productivity at work? If you are, it indicates that you care about quality and are time-sensitive. Both of these qualities are found in good leaders and can help you get on the path to a promotion.

Our 10-step guide helps you transform your day from reactivity (where you simply react to everything that happens in your day) to proactivity (where you take control of the things that you can and plan extra time to manage the things in your day that you cannot control). Being proactive is the key to increasing your productivity.

Proactive leaders are less overwhelmed, more emotionally stable, and clear-headed. They inspire their subordinates and earn the confidence of their superiors. These leaders go on to executive-level positions and can launch multi-million dollar businesses. While not everyone can become CEO, everyone can learn the steps to be proactive instead of reactive.

10-Step Guide To Improve Productivity at Work

Here is a quick rundown of the 10 steps. Feel free to skip to specific steps for more information.

1. Think of Your Time as Money
2. Batch When Appropriate
3. Think About Process for Tasks that Shouldn’t be Batched
4. Build Lists (Prioritizing)
5. Budget Your Time
6. Take Mini Breaks
7. Take Big Breaks
8. Learn New Technology
9. Get to Know Your Team, Then Delegate
10. Do Hard Things First

1. Think of Your Time as Money

Time is a treadmill that never stops. Before you know it, hours can pass without you accomplishing what you set out to do. Spending money only happens when we use it. Time passes whether you are using it or not.

When it comes to productivity, the main difference between proactive and reactive people is how they view time. You need time to reach project milestones, just as you need time for sleep, organization, relationships, and more. Those who think of time as money being spent are far ahead of those who don’t.

2. Batch When Appropriate

One of the biggest time wasters in our day are isolated, annoying things like checking email, voicemail, or paper filing. These tasks are not essential to any key process in your job, but they are important and need to be done.

It is tempting to jump on these tasks immediately as they occur (reacting). Instead, look at these tasks as something you’ve set aside time to tackle at a certain time of the day. For example, some people make it a point to check and organize their email inbox twice a day: once at 10 a.m. and once at 3 pm.

Batching is perfect for two reasons:

1. It allows you to “get in a groove” and move through these tasks faster, since you’ve batched them together.
2. It allows you to not worry about these tasks until their appointed time. In other words, you’ve proactively eliminated distractions throughout your work day.

 

3. Think About Process for Tasks that Shouldn’t be Batched

There are some things at work that you should never try to batch. These are tasks that have or are contingencies. What are contingencies?

A contingency simply means that a certain task must be done before another task can be done. Managing a process is much different than batches of redundant, isolated tasks. If you get too far ahead or behind on a set of tasks within a process, your productivity takes a nosedive.

If an assignment hits your desk and you are waiting for a contingency (that is, you are waiting on someone else to complete their task before you do yours), then think about whether or not doing that task now makes sense. After the contingency is met (the person behind you finishes their work), will you have to redo your part because you put “the cart before the horse?” 

Additionally, if an assignment hits your desk, and you are the contingency for the next person in the process, don’t delay. Others are waiting on you, and you don’t want to slow them down.

These ideas of contingency and process are important concepts for project managers, for example. However, if you are not a project manager and would like to be one, you can start learning these principles now. Understand what the big picture is and where you are in the process. Take your role seriously and offer support to those who handle your contingencies and those for whom you are the contingency.

For more in-depth study on process and contingencies, consider reading the book The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt. 

4. Build Lists

List building is one of the best tools available, because it teaches you how to prioritize:

• Before you settle in to begin your work for the day, make a list of the most important things that you need to accomplish that day. This list of tasks will get done should all else fail.
• Second, make a list of things that would be ideal to complete today but are not as vital as the tasks in your first list.
• Finally, make a list of things that you would love to get ahead on for the next day, if your schedule permits you to do so.

 

5. Budget Your Time

Most people “jump the gun” and make time budgeting step 1 or 2. That is unrealistic unless you have already established habits of batching, thinking about process, and prioritization. You shouldn’t ever build a budget you do not feel confident you can abide by.

Instead, as you get better at handling steps 2-4, note how long your work takes and what patterns emerge in your daily routine. Once you can identify a healthy routine, enforce it by creating a schedule.

This daily schedule is about learning how to budget your time. Some parts of your day may look different from one day to the next, and others will look much the same. Either way, having a schedule where you have budgeted your time will allow you to pick your ideal times of the day for specific tasks. It will help you eliminate distractions and ensure you can check off your priority tasks on your list while also making time to get ahead on future milestones.

Tip: You can use a calendar to help boost your productivity and stay organized.

6. Take Mini Breaks

How long does your optimal focus last? Can you go 30 minutes or an hour before your brain begins to wander hopelessly? Often, this is your brain telling you to take a break. And if you ignore your brain’s pleas for rest, your work will only get more sluggish and sloppy throughout the day.

Instead, plan to take mini breaks throughout your day. Your break can be as simple as taking a 2-minute walk, going to the water cooler, grabbing a cup of coffee, or doing anything else that gives your brain a break for a few minutes. If you take these breaks, you’ll do more in shorter periods of high focus, adding another proactive step to your work day. 

7. Take Big Breaks

After so many hours, mini breaks may no longer work for you. Instead, plan to take 15 to 30-minute breaks after a couple of hours of focused work. For many people, their employers limit how and when they take breaks. If this is the case for you, collaborate with your employer about what you need and options for taking a break.
Planning to do something you enjoy during those longer breaks will help you look forward to them. Don’t be tempted to work through these breaks, especially if your employer encourages you to take them.

8. Learn New Technology

So much of what you do can most likely be done faster and better through productivity software and apps. The catch, of course, is learning how to use these new technological tools. Getting the hang of new software feels cumbersome at first for many people. But with determination and practice, what used to take 15 minutes can now be completed with a simple click, and entire projects that used to take months now take a few days.

Then, set aside a few hours of personal time each week to learn some new tools. Afterward, your supervisor will be amazed at your performance and may ask you to lead new projects. 

9. Get to Know Your Team, Then Delegate

You can’t do everything yourself. But even if you think you can, you shouldn’t try to do everything yourself. If you work as part of a team, you may not know your team members as well as you thought you did. Taking a little bit of time to get to know them will do a great deal to improve your skills and delegate tasks for which they are the actual experts.

Don’t assume by a resume or job title that each member can handle every task. Some will need your mentorship, and others may need to be told what to do. So take your team members out for lunch, have one-on-one coffee breaks, and start tasking your team the right way.

10. Do Hard Things First

As human beings, we tend to procrastinate on tasks that make us nervous. We will go through our entire day dreading the task that must be done. So do that task first.

Get the hardest stuff done first (as much as possible). Doing so will give you more personal satisfaction, as well as improve your mood for the whole day. 

Boost Your Productivity

As human beings, we tend to procrastinate on tasks that make us nervous. We can go through our entire day dreading a job that has to be done. So do that task first.

Get the hardest stuff done first (as much as possible). Doing so will give you more personal satisfaction and improve your mood for the whole day.

For more tips, take a look at some of the ways you can use your skills to work more productively.

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Can an Employer Force You To Travel for Work?

Can your employer make you travel for work? It depends—several factors impact when an employer can require an employee to travel for business.

In many cases, your employer can require travel, but you may be able to negotiate an alternative arrangement with your employer. There are also federal and state laws that may apply.

Review information on when employers can require work travel, when you can’t be forced to travel, what can happen if you are unable or unwilling to travel, and what to do if you need to discuss options with your employer.

When Can Your Employer Force You to Travel for Work?

Whether an employer can force you to travel for work depends on company policy, your job description, whether you have a disability that would make travel challenging, your employment contract, if you have one, and the laws in your state.

When you are asked to start traveling can be a factor as well. For example, if you work in a role that didn’t require travel when you were hired, you will have a better case for not traveling than if business travel is included in your job description. However, if your circumstances have changed, you may be able to negotiate not traveling with your employer, or you may be protected by labor laws.

What To Do When You Can’t (Or Don’t Want To) Travel

What can you do if you’re not able to travel? First of all, check your responsibilities and your rights. Then, create a plan for requesting a change to your job description and discuss your circumstances with your company.

You may not have many options when asked to travel unless your employer is flexible and willing to accommodate your request. Even if you weren’t originally required to travel, in most states, employment is considered “at will,” and the company can change job requirements with no notice and no consequences. 

When you are covered by a union bargaining agreement or an employment contract or have medical or personal circumstances where you can’t travel, you may be able to come to an agreement with your employer that precludes or limits travel.

Business Travel Requirements

Here are some of the factors that can impact work-related travel requirements:

• Job description: If travel is an essential part of your job description, then your employer may be able to require you to travel, even if you don’t want to. For example, if you’re a sales representative who is required to travel to meet with clients, your employer may be able to require you to do so, even if you have commitments that make it difficult for you to travel.
• Employment contract: If you have an employment contract, it may specify whether or not travel is required. If your contract states that travel is required, you may be obligated to travel, even if you don’t want to. You may be considered in breach of contract if you don’t adhere to it.
• Medical issues: If you have a medical issue or disability that would make travel impossible or difficult, you may be able to opt out of traveling. For employees with disabilities, employers may need to make accommodations for workers who can’t travel for work.
• Family reasons: When you have child care or eldercare issues, an ill family member, or other personal circumstances, you may be able to avoid or limit travel, at least temporarily. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act allows covered employees to take unpaid leave from work. Some states also have laws that provide family and medical leave to eligible employees.
• State laws: Some states have laws that protect employees from being forced to travel. Check with your state department of labor for information on guidelines in your location.

 

Can You Be Fired for Refusing To Travel?

If you are considered an at-will employee, an employer can fire you without reason or warning in most states. There are some exceptions to employment at will, such as workers covered by state and federal law protections, collective bargaining agreements, contracts, public policy, and other circumstances. 

It’s important to be careful when you ask for flexibility at work, especially if you aren’t covered by an agreement that provides it. You don’t want to lose your job because you refused to travel. If you think that may happen, it can be better to start a job search and look for a position where travel isn’t a requirement.

What To Do if You’re Unable To Travel

When traveling for work isn’t feasible, you should first write an explanation for why you can’t travel so you’re prepared to talk to your employer. It will be easier to discuss if you have the details ready to share. If there are medical reasons why travel is an issue, ask your doctor for a letter explaining the circumstances.

Be prepared to suggest options, such as the following:

• How you can get the job done without having to travel
• Working remotely
• Video options for conferences
• Virtual meetings
• Equivalent local options for conferences, meetings, and customer visits
• Team member traveling in your place
• Shifting of job responsibilities 
• Transferring to another position

 

Talk To Your Employer About Options

If possible, it’s best to talk to your employer before you’re asked to travel. Asking in advance will preclude a difficult situation where you have to say that you can’t go at the last minute.

Discuss the situation with your manager or human resources department. If you belong to a union, talk to your representative.

First, let them know how important the job is to you. Next, explain your reasons for being unable to travel and see if there is a way for you to meet your job duties without traveling. Share your suggestions for a workaround that will make sense for both you and the company. For instance, suggest video conferences, virtual meetings, or local arrangements whenever possible.

If your request is based on medical or family circumstances, provide documentation, such as medical certificates or legal documents, to support your case for exemption.

Note: Your employer may be willing to explore alternatives or make accommodations for you, such as allowing you to work remotely, changing your job description, or adjusting the travel schedule to accommodate your needs.

More Options to Consider

Explore Internal Resources. Consult your company’s human resources department or employee assistance program (EAP) if available. They can provide guidance, mediate discussions, or offer resources to address your concerns effectively.

Get Legal Advice. If you believe your employer is unfairly pressuring you to travel or your concerns are not being addressed, consider seeking legal advice from an employment attorney. They can assess your situation and provide guidance based on applicable laws and regulations.

Check with the EEOC. If your employer is unwilling to make accommodations for you, you may have the option to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC enforces laws that protect employees from discrimination, including discrimination based on disability. If you can show that your employer requires you to travel and you are unable to do so because of your disability, you may be able to file a successful complaint with the EEOC.

Compensation for Travel Time

If you’re traveling during working hours, the U.S. Department of Labor considers travel during work hours compensable work time.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) explains that, generally, time spent traveling is compensated unless it is commuting time between home and work, or an overnight stay is required and travel time outside the employee’s normal work hours.

The Bottom Line

While employers generally have the authority to require work travel under certain circumstances, employees also have rights and options.

It’s important to understand the terms of your employment contract, engage in open communication with your employer, and explore potential alternatives that may accommodate your concerns or limitations. 

The post Can an Employer Force You To Travel for Work? appeared first on Career Tool Belt.

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