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#155134 12/12/04 03:19 PM
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 220
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I am curious how your employers handle travel time pay. Do they pay one way, after you start a job, etc.? We have recently had a discussion on this at the shop, because half the crew is traveling to Vermont to work. The boss is only paying 8 hrs travel time for the entire trip( estimated 10 hours on way by mapquest). This seems to contridict the fair labor standards act, but the boss has it spelled out in the handbook, one way only. What do you guys think?

[This message has been edited by trekkie76 (edited 12-12-2004).]

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#155135 12/12/04 03:55 PM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 186
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Trekkie,
Take a few minutes to scan through this post from afew days ago, i know the org. topic is alittle differant but it landed up discussing labor laws etc. I hope this is of help,

NJ Wireman https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/Forum1/HTML/005159.html

#155136 12/12/04 05:21 PM
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Here is what the labor board did to me.
I had an out of town job. (50 miles) Had a 10 passenger van and had the crew meet at the office and drive to the job and back. I paid one way. Labor board said Nope. I could have had the crew drive to the job site and not paid any travel at all but once they showed up at the office their day was started and did not end until they returned. Needless to say that with the back pay I was forced to pay the job lost money.

#155137 12/12/04 07:20 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 642
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Depending on the distance to the job, you can have the employee show up at job site to start thier day. Or provide per diem to cover hotel and meals while they stay out of tow to be closer to the job site. 50 miles is a common distance for this determination. I have also seen some companies that use 75 miles as thier distance.
As kentvw found out mandantorly requiring employees to show up at the shop then travel is much more costly and opens a lot of labor law and insurance issues. That 10 passenger van could be required to be licensed for and insured a common passenger carrier just like a bus. That is expensive insurance.


ed
#155138 12/13/04 07:52 PM
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 220
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sorry to hear about your experience Kentvw, I am was just trying to find out if this is an excepted practice. The boss is providing meal reimbursement and lodging for the week, but I feel that the hours driving are hours worked. I have done so internet resarch that supports this, will pass it along to the boss.

#155139 12/13/04 11:21 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 642
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Member
Yes this is an accepted practice.
What your boss is doing is providing a per diem. Or a per day reinbursement for travel expenses. His choice of paying for the hotel room and an allowance for meals is very common for those who travel more than 50+ miles to a job site. It is also common to have a limit oer day on meals costs.
The idea is that you do not have to drive for extended periods of time to get to work and go to a place where you sleep.
For many traveling workers this is a very common way of taking care of travel/ lodging/meal costs while away from home.


ed
#155140 12/16/04 06:36 PM
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 220
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so are you saying that the cost of the hotel and the meal allowance are in lieu of pay for hours worked? what if the hours came out to more than the per diem?

#155141 12/17/04 12:01 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 642
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Member
No
Your hours worked on the job are the same as if you did not travel at all.
Per diem is a seperate pay to make up for the increased cost to the employee who has to travel long distances to get to a job not in his home area.
There are several ways to set up a per diem pay. Your on the job regular pay and overtime is a seperate issue.


ed
#155142 12/17/04 12:18 AM
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 55
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Member
I have a question about my employee and travel time. I pick him up at his house and at the end of the day I drop him off at home. The drive to and from the job is any where from one to two hours one way (depends on Chicago traffic). Am I required to pay him for all that travel? I am saving him 30 minutes each way by picking him up and he sleeps that entire time. I think the first 30 minutes to the job and the last 30 minutes home should be on his time. Anyone knows the laws on this?

#155143 12/17/04 01:16 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 687
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eswets:
This can be a sticky situation. Being in the chicagoland area you can spend hours a day on the roads. With the price of fuel and auto maintence your probibly doing the emploiee a favor if he lives near the shop. Instead of woring about driving he can relax. I like to ride with someone so they can help find the place when your close. Another person helps keep you awake. Both workers show up at the same time. At some jobs parking is limited so less trucks is better. By carpooling your reducing traffic, reducing polution, and saving fuel. With small service calls your running around all day. It does not help you if they are following you 10 minuits behind because they stop somewhere at any chance.

Too bad there is no goverment incentive to do this. I think there are 2 ways to look at this:
1. You agree that the emploiee is not required to go in the truck. He can meet you at the job or you can pick hime up and give hime a ride to work with it clear the work starts and ends at the job site.
2. They are required to meet at some place where the work day starts and you pay them for drive time.

I konw some places the workers load and pick up the truck and don't get paid for any drive time. Other places pay after the 1st hour of drive time a day. I can't say how this would stand up if there was a pay dispute or an auto accident. Or there is the the one way pay where the job starts at the shop and ends at the job. You'll even provide them a free ride back at the end of the day if they want.

All I can say is paying or not drive time makes a big difference in work done in 8 hours and overtime pay. You also want to keep good workers happy.

Tom

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