Do You Pay Exempt Employees For Travel Time?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,


Exempt employees may be required to work long hours and have to travel for work without any additional compensation

. If your employee is traveling out of California, it is possible that the laws of the state where he or she is traveling to might apply.

Should you be paid for travel time?

In general,

your business should pay employees for the time they spend traveling for work-related activities

. You don’t have to pay employees for travel that is incidental to the employee’s duties and time spent commuting (traveling between home and work).

Do you get paid for work travel?


California law requires you be paid at least the minimum wage for all “hours worked” including travel time

. Many cities actually have a higher minimum wage than the state. That means you must be paid the higher local minimum wage for the hours you work.

Is travel time considered work time?


Working time includes travelling where it is an integral part of the job

, for example in the case of a travelling sales executive or a mobile repair person. This includes travel during normal working hours and travel between sites or clients since the travelling is an essential part of the work.

How do companies pay for employee travel?

Some companies pay directly for transportation and housing but give traveling employees a

per diem

for all other expenses including meals and ground transportation. Employees have been known to underspend on expenses to keep the extra cash from the per diem. Companies generally allow this.

Should travel time be included in working hours?

Working hours includes any time when the worker is at the employer’s disposal and is expected to carry out activities or duties for the employer. Work-related training is counted as part of the working week.

Travel time to and from work is not usually counted as working hours

.

What travel pay means?

A: Travel Pay is

payment for expenses employees spend traveling for work-related activities

. This could include airfare, trainfare, gas and milegae, and meals. Note, however, that time spent in home-to-work travel by an employee generally is not “hours worked” and, therefore, does not qualify as travel pay.

Should my employer pay me travel time UK?


There is no right to be paid for time spent travelling to and from work unless this is specifically set out within the contract

. The only time you would normally look at making a payment or some contribution towards travel to and from work is if you require your employee to work at a different location from usual.

What is the law on travel time to work?


For every 24-hour period, workers are entitled to at least 11 hours of rest

. All employees are also entitled to an uninterrupted 20-minute break when they work for more than six hours. If an employee’s working day is extended to include travel time, you may be required to give them more rest breaks.

Are employers responsible for employees travelling to work?

The most relevant legal obligation that could apply to the daily commute is the

statutory duty not to subject employees to a detriment or to dismiss them for taking action because of a serious and imminent danger they believe they face to their health and safety.

Should I opt out of the Working Time Directive?

You should include any time you spend on work you’ve agreed to do for your employer.

You should leave out any time you’ve taken off work and rest breaks when no work is done

.

What is classed as reasonable travelling distance?

Reasonable Commuting Distance means

a distance that is fewer than 50 straight-line miles from the Business Employee’s principal residence

. In addition, a distance that does not increase a Business Employee’s commute by more than five straight-line miles shall also be a Reasonable Commuting Distance.

Are travel hours billable?


As long as employees code their travel time, you can choose to bill it or write it off

. If you decide to bill for travel time, you must assign a billing rate to travel time.

Can you charge mileage and travel time?

Mile Based Fee


The mileage-based rate can be a useful way to charge clients

. This can be sufficient to recover the costs of fuel along with the cost of the time spent while traveling and the onsite visit. One can create a suitable mile based fee so one can recover both the costs.

Is travel pay taxable?

As we mentioned,

reimbursements for non-business travel, including commuting, is taxable, even if paid at or below, the Federal mileage rate and calculated on the same documentation as an accountable plan

. This is considered regular wages and subject to all income and employment taxes.

Can I say no to travel for work?

In the United States, refusing to travel for work may jeopardize your job. Can an employer force you to work out of town? An employer can require you to work out of town as part of your job.

An employer cannot force you to go on work-related travel

, but if you refuse to go, you could be fired.

Is it law to have 11 hours between shifts?


The minimum rest period in a 24-hour period should not be less than 11 consecutive hours

. In general, workers are entitled to at least 11 hours rest per day, at least one day off each week, and a rest break during the shift if it is longer than six hours.

What is the meaning of travel time?

Definition of travel time

: a usually specified period of time spent in traveling at work or from the entrance of a business establishment to the place where work is actually done (as in portal-to-portal travel or deadheading) for which compensation may be demanded or paid.

How do you pay for travel expenses?

  1. Company credit cards: Companies often have credit cards that are designated for company expenses such as travel. …
  2. Cash reimbursements: For smaller expenses such as meals, companies may reimburse employees for various purchases made while traveling.

What are the UK Working Time Regulations?


You can’t work more than 48 hours a week on average – normally averaged over 17 weeks

. This law is sometimes called the ‘working time directive’ or ‘working time regulations’. You can choose to work more by opting out of the 48-hour week. If you’re under 18, you can’t work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week.

Can I refuse to travel for work UK?

Employees have a right under section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA) not to be subjected to any detriment for refusing to come to work in circumstances where they reasonably believe they are in “serious and imminent danger” which they could not reasonably have been expected to avert.

Should travel time for mobile workers be counted as working time?

No, there is no requirement for employers to pay mobile workers for the time spent travelling between their home and their first and last appointments of the day, unless payment is required under their contract of employment.

Time spent travelling between work and home is excluded from working hours by reg.

Carlos Perez
Author
Carlos Perez
Carlos Perez is an education expert and teacher with over 20 years of experience working with youth. He holds a degree in education and has taught in both public and private schools, as well as in community-based organizations. Carlos is passionate about empowering young people and helping them reach their full potential through education and mentorship.