This coverage provides reimbursement for your pre-paid travel costs (up to the policy limit) in the event you or a traveling companion are forced to cancel your trip due to work conflicts. This is a listed covered reason under trip cancellation coverage.
Contents (click to jump down) What does Work Conflict cover? Important notes about this coverage What type of policy covers this? How much coverage does each company provide? Summary |
Let us tell you a story
Helen and her husband had planned a month-long tour of China as their anniversary gift to each other. They would float down the Yangtze, hike the Great Wall, and tour Shanghai. Helen’s husband, Gerry, is a long-time U.S. Army captain and a member of the National Guard.
When they made their reservations, they also knew to purchase a travel insurance plan with trip cancellation that included coverage for work reasons. While Gerry’s leave was approved, military officers must be prepared to be deployed for any reason. Just days before their trip departure, he was called to aid a community affected by severe flooding. This couple was able to cancel their trip so Gerry could handle is work duties and they received full reimbursement.
What does Work Conflict cover?
Pre-departure trip cancellation coverage provides reimbursement for non refundable payments and deposits in the event you have to cancel your trip due to work conflicts. Work conflicts that are commonly covered include:
- You incur a permanent transfer of employment (to a location 250 miles or more away)
- You are in the military and your leave is revoked, you are reassigned, or you are called into emergency duty for a national disaster
- You are involuntarily terminated (laid off) from your employment (usually requires continuous employment of 1-3 years)
Not every plan includes all of these as covered reasons for pre-trip cancellation. In addition, this is not a comprehensive list of the reasons you may have to cancel your trip as a result of your employment. Additional work-related reasons for cancellation are covered by the ‘cancel for work reasons’ coverage.
Important notes about this coverage
- A written statement by your employer may be required with your claim, depending on the reason for the claim
- A termination or layoff must be involuntary, meaning it was not your fault
- Some plans require you to have been continuously employed by the company a certain amount of time (usually 1-3 years, but some as high as 5)
- Some plans require you to purchase your travel plan within a certain number of days (usually 14-21) of making the initial trip deposit
- The effective date for trip cancellation coverage begins at 12:01 a.m. on the day the policy is fully paid an in effect
- This coverage ends at the earliest of either: the cancellation of your trip, or the date and time you start your trip
What type of policy covers this?
In most cases, you’ll have to buy a travel insurance package plan if you need coverage for cancellations that could occur as a result of your employment.
One travel medical plan, however, includes trip cancellations for some work reasons:
- TravMed Abroad by FrontierMEDEX
Specifically, this plan provides pre-trip cancellation coverage for employment transfer and military duty.
How much coverage does each company provide?
Plan | Company | Employment length | Transfer / Military | Policy limit |
---|---|---|---|---|
Deluxe (Comprehensive) | Allianz | 1 year | N / Y | 150% of insured trip cost |
Annual Business Travel Protection (Executive) | Allianz | 3 years | N / Y | $5,000 (annual plan) |
Classic (Comprehensive) | Allianz | 3 years | N / Y | 150% of insured trip cost |
Annual Travel Protection | Allianz | 3 years | N / Y | $1,000 (annual plan) |
Custom Luxe Comprehensive *** | CSA | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Custom Comprehensive *** | CSA | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
TravMed Abroad | FrontierMEDEX | Y / Y | $5,000 (medical plan) | |
Global Alert Essentials | Global Alert | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost | |
Global Alert Preferred Plus | Global Alert | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Global Alert Preferred | Global Alert | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
No coverage | Global Underwriters | |||
TripProtector Preferred *** | HTH Worldwide | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
TripProtector *** | HTH Worldwide | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
TripProtector e-Saver *** | HTH Worldwide | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Advantage Bridge | MH Ross | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Advantage Complete | MH Ross | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Advantage Asset | MH Ross | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost | |
Roundtrip Choice | Seven Corners | 5 years | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost up to 30,000 |
Roundtrip | Seven Corners | 5 years | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost up to 20,000 |
Travel Lite | Travelex | 3 years | Y / N | 100% of insured trip cost |
Travel Basic | Travelex | 3 years | Y / N | 100% of insured trip cost |
Travel Max | Travelex | 3 years | Y / N | 100% of insured trip cost |
Travel Plus | Travelex | 3 years | Y / N | 100% of insured trip cost |
Travel Select Advantage | Travelex | 3 years | Y / N | 100% of insured trip cost |
Travel Select | Travelex | 3 years | Y / N | 100% of insured trip cost |
Travel Rite | Travel Guard | 1 year | N / Y | $1,500 |
Tee, Tour, and Travel | Travel Guard | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
My Travel Guard | Travel Guard | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Gold | Travel Guard | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Pack n' Go * | Travel Guard | Y / Y | ||
Business Traveler | Travel Guard | 1 year | N / Y | $2,500-$5,000 |
Basic | Travel Guard | 1 year | 100% of insured trip cost | |
Adventure | Travel Guard | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Sportsman's | Travel Guard | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Platinum (Cruise, Tour & Travel) | Travel Guard | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Silver | Travel Guard | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Select Elite | Travel Insurance Services | 2 years | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Select Plus | Travel Insurance Services | 2 years | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Select Basic | Travel Insurance Services | 2 years | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Trip Protector Lite ** | Travel Insured | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Worldwide Trip Protector Gold ***** | Travel Insured | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Worldwide Trip Protector **** | Travel Insured | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Trip Protector Lite Expanded ** | Travel Insured | 1 year | N / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Vacation | TravelSafe | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Premier | TravelSafe | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Custom | TravelSafe | 1 year | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
Elements (Family) | TravelSafe | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost | |
Elements (Individual) | TravelSafe | Y / Y | 100% of insured trip cost |
* Covered reason only for trip interruption
** If purchased within 14 days of initial trip deposit
*** If purchased within 15 days of initial trip deposit
**** If purchased within 21days of initial trip deposit
**** If purchased within 30 days of initial trip deposit
Summary
- Not all travel insurance plans include involuntary layoffs as a covered reason for pre-trip cancellations; however most do
- Additional work-related coverage is provided by the ‘cancel for work reasons’ coverage
- Some plans include work conflicts such as those described here in their trip interruption coverage as well
- Some plans require the insured to have been working for the same company a certain amount of time (usually 1-3 years)