Company Agrees to Let Employee Work Remotely, Demands He Travels 3 Times a Month 5 Months Later

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Jun 24, 2026 9:15 AM EDT

Does a remote worker need to travel for their job at any time?

Over the past decade, more and more people have been introduced to the myriad benefits of working from home. Saving time and money on a commute and having increased flexibility are something that many workers are not willing to give up, even with the opportunity for a higher salary or more prestige.

Still, not every employer is comfortable with the idea of letting employees be remote all of the time, and many will find a reason to get them back in the office. They want to be able to keep tabs on them, and know that they are getting good value for the salary they pay. Many find this inconvenient enough with hybrid working, but if there is even more long-haul travel involved, that is another issue altogether.

Travelling for work can have its upsides, but it is also something that tends to get tiring. Putting yourself through the rigors of air travel and navigating an unfamiliar place just to please the higher-ups is not something that is going to agree with everyone. It certainly isn't the kind of arrangement that many remote workers are likely to be happy with, but for some, this is the price they pay for getting the privilege of setting up their office at home most of the time.

via A. C. (Unsplash+)

_{^{A man walks across an airport bridge, wearing a backpack}}
A backend developer had been working for a company for a couple of years and had gotten their management to agree to let them work mostly remotely for the past 5 months. The initial agreement was that they would occasionally visit the office from which they used to work.
However, circumstances changed, and their boss told them that they were now expected to travel to a client's location several times a month. They did not feel that this was a sustainable arrangement, not least because they were exhausted by too much travel. They were not sure how to approach this situation.
Boss casually dropped that I'll be travelling 2-3 times a month

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