'Now that I'm a Mom, I Don't Want to Travel. How Can I Ditch Business Trips?'

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When I accepted my job, I agreed to do a certain amount of business-related travel every year. Now that I’m a mom, it’s not as easy to hop on a plane as it used to be. How do I tell my boss I need to cut back on travel?

Approach this meeting with your manager as a discussion on your role and how to reorganize it, says Lucy English, Ph.D., a human resources consultant. “Mention the change in your life for context, but don’t focus too much on the personal. Think of it as a work adjustment, and approach the conversation in a spirit of collaboration.”

Examine what you’ve accomplished on the road and see if it might be worth it to make fewer, more-meaningful trips, says Kori Renn, coaching and student services lead for the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She also recommends exploring alternative working methods with your manager, such as telecommuting, as a way to reduce your travel while keeping your role with the company. If it’s not an option, then propose new, related responsibilities you can take on to cover the
time you would spend on the road, and volunteer to train colleagues to replace you on the business trips.

“To be successful in this ask, it can’t just be about you no longer wanting to travel,” Renn says. “There has to be a business reason to drive the travel reduction. If you approach your conversation in this way, with a plan, there’s a good chance you’ll be successful, and you’ll show your manager that you’re thinking strategically about your role and the success of the company.”

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