b'Travel TimeWho, What, Why . . . Who does it apply to: All employers who are subject to the FairWho gets paid for time in a carpool: Again, it depends. If a group Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which is virtually every employer. of employees decide on their own to carpool, the time does not count. If the employees take their own vehicles to a common What is the issue: Employers are required to count certain timelocation to ride in a bus or other vehicle to a jobsite, the bus spent traveling toward an employees hours worked each weekdriver is on the clock, but the riders may not be. If the riders unless the employee is exempt from overtime. The problem isare not obligated to use the company vehicle, their ride time that not all time must be counted and the rules can be quitedoes not count. There is some question about whether ride tricky. For more information on who is exempt from overtime,time counts if the employees are unable to drive directly to the see the Exemptions section. ultimate destination themselves, perhaps to a construction site or factory. Check with your employment counsel in that situation.Isthedrivefromhometoworkcovered:Letsstartatthe beginning of the day (and the end). Of course, most of youWhat about travel out of town: Out-of-town travel is generally are thinking the commute to the office cant possibly count. broken down into two categories: special trips, all in a days Likemanylegalissuesitdepends.Initssimplestform,work and longer trips, usually overnight. If an employer sends compensable travel time starts when work begins whether thatan employee out of their usual work area for a special one-is picking up food for the office or sitting in traffic on a conferenceday project, the company must pay for the travel to and from call. If the Department of Labor (DOL) considers the travel forthat site, less the employees usual commute. If the employee the employees benefit it does not count. If, on the other hand,travels to the airport to fly to another town, the flight time to and the DOL considers the travel to be for the employers benefit,from the location counts, but the drive to the airport does not.it does count. The Common Situations section will help youunderstand this point better.If an employee is sent out of town multiple days for work, travel time that is outside of their usual work time is counted. Hence, What if the employee drives a company car: If the employeean employee who usually works Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 drives to a business location to pick up a company vehiclep.m., will be paid for all time (including the drive to the airport, before heading out to the first job of the day, their time starts tosince it is not a regular workday) on a Sunday to arrive for a count as soon as they get in the vehicle.If the employee drivesMonday meeting. The employee will also count time in a plane the company vehicle to and from home, and from home to workor other mode of transportation returning to his home location.or business calls, the time is treated like a regular commute andTravel of this type can also be complicated; check with your does not count. On the other hand, if the employee drives theemployment counsel about more complicated situations, such vehicle to pick-up co-workers or materials on the way to work,as an employee leaving early to visit friends in the destination the time counts as soon as the employee leaves home. location.How is travel during the workday treated: Once an employeeHow is travel overseas treated: Overseas travel is complicated arrives at work (whether that be a jobsite, first call, or office),andbeyondthescopeofthissection.Checkwithyour any additional travel during the day, up to the end of the workdayemployment counsel about travel time of this type.or last call of the day, is counted. This time is clearly for the employers benefit, with the possible exception of driving to andDoes on-call or emergency travel change anything: Employees from a meal break location. required to travel outside of their normal work hours to a location other than their primary work location must be paid travel time to 61'