Can employers require employees to share a hotel room while on business travel to reduce costs?

There is no law prohibiting employers from requiring employees on business travel to share a hotel room. However, doing so may cause employee relations issues that, in the long run, cost an employer more in lower employee morale, higher turnover, and decreased productivity than the savings realized.

Not being at home and putting in long days in unfamiliar territory may already stress employees. While a small number of employees may be comfortable sharing a room, a room-sharing policy could create ill will between co-workers. The following scenarios are potentials for conflict: 

• A light sleeper bunked with a snorer.
• An early-to-bed sleeper bunked with a night owl.
• Differences in personal space zones.
• Differences in bedtime and/or bathroom rituals.

A room-sharing requirement may also require an employee to disclose an otherwise unknown disability that they would prefer not be exposed.

Instead of requiring employees to share hotel rooms, employers may want to consider other cost saving alternatives, such as:

• Same-day travel, where possible.
• Renegotiation of the corporate rate with the hotel chain.
• Use of a less expensive hotel chain.
• Reduction of travel costs in other areas, such as meal and alcohol per diems and transportation.
  
• Virtual meetings.

Employers who have no choice but to require employees to share hotel rooms may consider the following approaches:

• Provide employees ample time to select a roommate before randomly assigning roommates.
• Allow employees to pay the difference between a private and double room.
• Require room-sharing only when the room rate is higher than a specified amount defined in the travel policy.
• Encourage roommates to discuss personal preferences, routines and other issues up front.

Whichever route the employer ultimately chooses on the room-sharing issue, it is wise to document all aspects of the travel policy and communicate the rationale to employees.