Travel Pay

jerzal · April 2003

I have looked on the Gov't site for this question but i just want to verify with other HR ppl.
We have an hourly mfg. ee who went on a trip last week w/one of the managers.
I beleive we only have to pay him for the travel time that occured during his normal work hours and of course any other time when he was actually working, but not for things like sitting in a hotel room, sleeping, etc.
Sound right? He isn't making a fuss or anything, I just want to make sure we do the right thing.
By the way, we are in PA.

Thanks,
Jenn

HR in PA · April 2003

What means of travel did he use? Was he a passenger or a driver? Did he work on the weekend as well?

jerzal · April 2003

He traveled with his boss. I am not sure who drove, chances are he drove some times and his boss drove other times. But they drove there, stayed there for a week, and came home. It wasn't like he was constantly driving to & fro. They came home on a Saturday, but I do not think actual work was involved on that Saturday, just the trip back.

Jenn

cebudragonlady · April 2003

We pay our hourly mfg. people Travel Pay ( at a lower rate than what they earn in the factory or on a job site ) for travel to & from airports, time in airports waiting for planes, travel to & from job sites .

Chari

Cindy Hanna · April 2003

We pay employees for 8 hours per day when traveling or else if and employee normally workd 10 hours a day we would pay the employee 10 hours a day when he/she travels.

jerzal · April 2003

This happened one other time w/a different EE and we paid him for his normal work time (8-5) and then we gave him an extra vacation day to use, just to be nice.

jerzal · April 2003

Okay, the EE never drove the car, he was always a passenger.

THis is from the DOL website:Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

Travel Away from Home Community: Travel that keeps an employee away from home overnight is travel away from home. Travel away from home is clearly work time when it cuts across the employee's workday. The time is not only hours worked on regular working days during normal working hours but also during corresponding hours on nonworking days. As an enforcement policy the Division will not consider as work time that time spent in travel away from home outside of regular working hours as a passenger on an airplane, train, boat, bus, or automobile.

If his normal work hours are M-F 8-5 and he traveled home on Saturday and it took from 8-5, does he need to be paid for the saturday travel day. At first I said no but when I see this "corresponding hours on nonworking days" thing, I am confused. He traveled on Tuesday from 8-5 but that was a regular working day and we should pay him.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Jenn

NaeNae55 · April 2003

My understanding is that if the employee works M-F 8-5 and traveled on Saturday that you pay them for any travel time which occurred that day between 8 and 5. If this means overtime, then you pay it as such. You can pay a reduced rate for travel, and adjust your overtime accordingly, but I wouldn't do it unless I had a policy for such already in place.

Good luck!

Pork · May 2003

Reads like you are correct; however, you did not specify if the employee assisted in navigation of the car, plane, or train to get there, did he/she pump gas, fix the flat,wipe the windows, or share driving time? Was the employee along for business purposes or was this a pleasure trip. Did the trip have a business purpose? Was the employee made to pay for any meals, expenses?

Sorry for the additional questions, but you need to ask to make the right decision on how many hours to pay the individual.

Pork

jerzal · May 2003

Thanks everyone for your answers. I think it got it all straightened out.

Jenn

Travel Pay

Comments