Can you recover your vacation dollars if your boss revokes your leave?

In some cases, you can recover vacation dollars when you or your traveling companion’s or a traveling family member’s vacation approval or written military leave is revoked. This type of coverage is included in the trip cancellation benefits of some travel insurance plans.

Let’s take a look at an example from the Gold plan from Travel Guard. The language looks like this:

“j) the Insured or Traveling Companion is required to work
during his/her scheduled Trip. He/she must provide proof of
requirement to work, such as a notarized statement signed
by an officer of his/her employer; In the situation of self employment,
proof of self-employment and a notarized
statement confirming that the Insured is unable to travel due
to his or her job obligations will be required;”

Notice that at least some proof is required, but then you’d expect that if you have to make a claim.

You may find help in the optional coverages

In some cases, however, you’ll find this coverage in the ‘cancel for any reason’ or ‘cancel for work reasons’ coverage, which is typically an optional rider.

In the description of coverage for Worldwide Trip Protector Gold from Travel Insured International, for example, we found coverage for this type of event under the optional ‘cancel for work reasons’ coverage. The language reads like this:

“You or Your Traveling Companion are required to work during the scheduled Trip. You or Your Traveling Companion must demonstrate proof of requirement to work, such as a notarized statement signed by an officer of Your or Your Traveling Companion’s employer;”

Almost always available for revoked military leave

In most travel insurance plans, you’ll find that coverage for trip cancellation includes being called into active military service or to provide aid in the event of a natural disaster. The language (in this case, from the Travel Insurance Services Elite plan) looks like this:

“(g) the Insured or a Traveling Companion being called into active military service to provide aid or relief in the event of a Natural Disaster;”

What’s the catch?

Make sure that you read the description of the plan to ensure that this type of coverage is available – and if it’s only available in the optional rider, make sure that rider is on your plan. The catch? Make sure that your trip costs fit within the maximum trip amount. For example, if your trip costs are $4,500, be sure that the trip cancellation maximum covers up to that amount. You don’t want to have a situation where the maximum trip cancellation amount is $2,000 because if you have to cancel, that’s the maximum you’ll receive back.