Does Travel Time To Offsite Training Count As Hourse Worked?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Commuting Time: Under both California and federal law, travel time to and from work

does not ordinarily constitute “hours worked”

and is not compensable.

How do you calculate travel time at work?

Calculating your travel time pay

You

count the number of hours you spent traveling, determine if those hours were regular hours or overtime hours, and then multiply that number by the applicable pay rate

.

Does training count as working time?

Working time is any period in which staff are working.

It includes time spent training

and travelling to work site, but does not include routine travel between home and work. Neither does it include lunch breaks or time spent on-call unless actually working.

What are compensable hours of work?

Compensable hours of work generally include all of that time during which an employee is on duty, on the employer’s premises, or at a prescribed workplace, as well as all other time during which the employee is suffered or permitted to work for the employer.

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).

Does travel time count as hours worked California?

In California,

travel time is considered compensable work hours

when the employer requires its employees to meet at a designated place, use the employer’s transportation to and from the work site, and prohibits employees from using their own transportation.

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.

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 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.

Which are classed as working time?

In broad terms, working time includes

travelling if part of the job, working lunches and job-related training

. It does not include travelling between home and work, lunch breaks, evening classes or day-release courses.

Is lunch break included in working hours?


Ordinarily, a lunch-break is not part of of an employee’s working hours

.

Are lunch breaks considered working hours?

The federal department of labor, called the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), explains that the typical meal/lunch break is

not considered work time

and is not compensable (not paid).

Which one is not compensable time?

As for travel time,

travel from home to office and vice-versa

is not compensable. However, travel away from home on official duty is considered as compensable.

Can I claim back my travel expenses?

You can only make travel expense claims for journeys to a temporary workplace (not commuting to your normal place of work). In general,

if you have to go to a temporary place of work for less than 24 months, you should be eligible to claim back travel expenses

.

Do mobile workers get paid travel 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.

What is classed as a mobile worker?

A mobile (peripatetic) worker is

anyone who either has no fixed workplace or works at different locations away from their normal workplace

.

Does travel time count towards overtime California?

So, is travel time overtime in California? As you can see,

travel time is only considered overtime if you are working over your normal forty hours a week

, and some travel time is unpaid. Travel time is part of regular wages and you should be paid accordingly.

Is travel time compensable in California?


Compulsory travel time longer than the employee’s normal commute is considered compensable time

. Travel time to a job site within reasonable proximity of the employee’s regular work site is not compensable. If an employee has no regular job site, travel time to the new job site each day is not compensable.

What is considered full time employment in California?

In California, an employer can classify a worker who works

at least 32 hours a week

as a full-time employee. However, some employers will classify any workers who work fewer than 40 hours a week as part-time. The employer has discretion in these matters in California.

How are travel fees calculated?

It is very common for photographers to simply

charge the federal going rate to their clients

(so this year = 54.5 cents/mile). This means if you have to travel to a wedding venue 100 miles away, you would charge ~$100 to cover travel expenses as the round trip would end up being 200 miles.

How much would it cost to travel 2021?

Beginning on January 1, 2021, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

56 cents per mile for business miles driven

, down 1.5 cents from the 2020 rate. 16 cents per mile driven for medical* or moving purposes, down 1 cent from the 2020 rate.

How much should I charge a client for travel time?

The other method for charging the client is using a mileage allowance. According to the IRS site, the allowance for business travel is

$0.51/mile

. If the job is 100 miles away, they will charge $51 of travel. Given 100 miles could be a 2-hour drive, it’s obviously more beneficial to charge hourly.

Is traveling to work classed as work?


When employees are required to travel for a business purpose, for example to meet clients or attend a meeting at a different site, this should be counted as working time

. In these situations, it’s advisable to pay employees their normal wage or salary as well as expensing them for their travel.

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.

Does standby count as working time?

A period of standby time must be regarded as working time in its entirety when the constraints imposed on the worker “objectively and very significantly” impact that worker’s ability to freely manage their time when their professional services are not directly required.

Timothy Chehowski
Author
Timothy Chehowski
Timothy Chehowski is a travel writer and photographer with over 10 years of experience exploring the world. He has visited over 50 countries and has a passion for discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and hidden gems. Juan's writing and photography have been featured in various travel publications.