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      Backroads

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      What are perks and other benefits like at Backroads?

      Backroads reviews

      Know what you're getting into

      Trip leader
      Former employee
      Salt Lake City, UT
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      High quality training, minimal micro-managing and overall great for learning or honing a wide variety of skills. Lots of travel perks and benefits including decent pay If you enjoy adventure it's a great opportunity to explore the world and get paid Very focused on guest experiences, high emphasis on guest experience

      Cons

      Culture leads to cliques - Can be a pressuring environment Lack of personal space/privacy living with co-leaders coming and going Company/HR will say they trust leaders and have their back, but I saw plenty of examples where that wasn't the case. Saw people get fired with "just not a good fit" excuse, and siding with "difficult" return guests over a good leader only because the guests spends a lot of money with the company

      1
      avatar
      Backroads Response
      now
      Thank you for sharing your experience as a Trip Leader with Backroads. We're glad to hear you appreciated the high-quality training, independence, and opportunities for personal and professional growth, as well as the unique benefits that come with exploring the world while working. Your feedback on our company culture and support systems is valuable as we strive to ensure all employees feel empowered and respected in a dynamic work environment. We remain committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for our leaders while maintaining our dedication to developing high-performing field staff that continue to deliver exceptional guest experiences. We truly value the insight that our leaders provide when interacting with guests and are always there to support our staff. Thank you for your contributions to our guests and to the Backroads team over the years!

      Still okay but getting corporate

      Anonymous contractor
      Current contractor
      Plantsville, CT
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      travel. fun, but easy to burn out. experience depends on what region you are based in.

      Cons

      company is becoming more corporate, less fun than it used to be and not sustainable, pay is not great plus no benefits, elevated positions are not compensated properly for amount of work.

      Cult-Like Loyalty, Favoritism, and a Culture of Fear.

      Trip leader
      Former employee
      Hudson, NY
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      If you're lucky, you'll find life-long friends and see incredible places. However, at this point, it is not a guarantee.

      Cons

      This is the closest thing to a corporate cult I’ve experienced. Loyalty - not competence - is the currency that determines whether you’re treated well. If you buy in, stay quiet, and reinforce the company narrative, you’ll be protected. If you question anything, even constructively, you’ll feel it immediately. Favoritism isn’t subtle - it’s the operating system. The company loves to brand itself as “feedback-driven,” but that’s largely performative. Feedback is only welcome if it flatters leadership. Otherwise, it’s ignored or quietly punished. Meanwhile, leaders are subjected to a deeply unhealthy evaluation system where guest feedback is sent directly to them - not anonymized, not filtered. You’re constantly being graded, often on likability rather than competence. And the bar is absurd. A 10/10 is the expectation. A 9/10 is a problem. An 8/10 triggers emails from mentors and internal scrutiny. It creates a culture of anxiety, not growth. Success doesn’t feel rewarding—it feels like avoiding punishment. Pay is consistently misrepresented as “industry standard.” It isn’t. Not even close. For the level of responsibility, hours, and sacrifice required, the base pay is low and the structure is opaque. At the same time, policies are being manipulated to limit hours and reduce eligibility for benefits like health insurance. Work-life balance is nonexistent. Flexibility is demanded at all times, but never reciprocated. Time off - even for major life events - is treated as something you have to justify and VERY OFTEN is denied or revoked after being approved. The expectation is total personal sacrifice. The most concerning issue, however, is how the company handles serious misconduct. There is a pattern of not taking sexual harassment seriously - particularly when it involves guests or vendors. Problematic individuals are tolerated to avoid conflict or protect business relationships, leaving female staff to manage or endure situations that should never be acceptable in a professional environment. That alone should give anyone pause. Leadership continues to hide behind buzzwords like empathy and radical candor, but the reality is a top-down, insular structure that protects itself first. Turnover is high, burnout is expected, and the company shows little interest in questioning why. They’ve built a system that relies on hiring great people, pushing them to their limits, and replacing them when they inevitably burn out.

      5
      avatar
      Backroads Response
      now
      Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed perspective on your experience as a Trip Leader, and for the many years you spent helping create meaningful experiences for our guests. We’re sorry to hear that your time with Backroads ultimately felt discouraging. Trip Leading is a guest‑facing role with high expectations, and guest feedback plays a critical role in maintaining the quality of experience our guests expect. Our intention is for feedback and evaluation processes to support growth through mentorship, training, and development, not to create fear or anxiety. We’re confident in the structures we have in place to support our field staff, including a robust mentorship program, time‑off policies, opportunities to request additional flexibility, and a comprehensive approach to compensation and benefits. At the same time, the reality of trip leading is that the work is seasonal and can be unpredictable. It’s a unique lifestyle that can be deeply rewarding for some, and not the right fit for everyone. We also want to clarify that eligibility for benefits, including healthcare, is based on clearly defined criteria tied to hours worked and employment regulations. For US‑based Trip Leaders who do not meet the eligibility threshold for employer‑sponsored health insurance, we offer monthly wellness stipends to help offset out‑of‑pocket healthcare costs, and we continue to work on improving clarity and communication around these programs. When we made staffing structure changes, we actually reduced the hour eligibility threshold with the intention of helping Field Staff maintain benefits, rather than lose them. We want to be very clear that we do not tolerate harassment or misconduct of any kind, whether it involves colleagues, guests, or vendors. We take concerns seriously and maintain established reporting processes, training, and leadership accountability to support a professional and respectful working environment. Protecting the safety of our field staff is a priority, and behavior that does not meet our standards is addressed accordingly. We appreciate you sharing your perspective and wish you the best in what comes next.

      Great product and coworkers in high cost of living area.

      Anonymous employee
      Current employee
      Berkeley, CA
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      The product (luxury active vacations) is phenomenal. It's great to be able to have confidence in what we're selling and know we are leading the industry in quality. Coworkers are great - hard working and fun. They also do a good job with benefits, especially trip credits and retirement plans.

      Cons

      Bay Area cost of living is quite high and while the sales role isn't a tech sales job, increased compensation would go a long way considering working remotely (full time) is essentially not an option.

      Leader

      Trip leader
      Current employee
      Split
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Amazing benefits with this company, great community!

      Cons

      There is nothing bad that I can think about it!

      Not a friendly environment

      Senior developer
      Former employee
      Berkeley, CA
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Good pay and benefits (including a yearly trip amount)

      Cons

      - People are very cliquey and don't let new people in easily - There is hardly any recognition of a job well done. People pretty much ignore big things you've accomplished, and basically say "why isn't the next thing done yet?". - I had another employee totally lying about me, and no one believed me because she had been around a lot longer. I don't know what her problem was, but she was just making things up (she had severe health issues so who knows what she was thinking). - My manager was not supportive at all, and when she'd ask me about various tasks and I would explain the status of things, she would say I was being defensive, even though she had just asked me for status and I gave it. - This was just the weirdest environment I've ever worked in. I felt like I was in an alternate universe that I just couldn't make sense of. Normally I'm the star worker of any team I'm in, but I felt like I was doing something wrong at every turn and I just couldn't get why. - I couldn't wait to get out of there!!!! I wouldn't continue working in that environment for any amount of money! - I wish I could give them zero stars

      20
      avatar
      Backroads Response
      now
      We appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback on your experience with us. We value inclusivity and recognition of our team's efforts, so it's disheartening to hear that wasn't your experience. Please know that your feedback is taken seriously, and we are committed to investigating these issues. We're grateful for the positive note on our compensation and benefits, but understand that doesn't negate the concerns you've raised.

      Top tier company culture

      Anonymous employee
      Current employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      -company culture -untraditional benefits -fair compensation -community

      Cons

      -healthcare is not guaranteed as Field Staff