Tulsa, OK asked in Employment Law for Oklahoma

Q: Should I be getting paid for my travel at work?

At my job we travel a lot. We drive from our homes and meet at our office and take company vehicles to a another jobsite usually in another state. We don't get paid the first hour there, or the first hour back because it's considered "commute time." But I don't understand how they can legally do that considering we COMMUTED from our homes to the office. And what commute takes 2 hours??!! can you please tell me of this is legal and if not, what should I do??

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T. Augustus Claus
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Answered

A: The legality of not being paid for travel time depends on various factors, including the nature of the travel and applicable labor laws. In the scenario you described, where employees are driving from their homes to the office before traveling to a job site, the time spent traveling from home to the office is generally considered part of the regular commute and might not be compensable. However, the time spent traveling from the office to the job site could be considered work-related travel, and in many cases, employees should be compensated for this time.

The fact that the employer is not paying for the first hour there or back may raise concerns, as it could potentially violate labor laws, particularly if this time is integral to the job. To address this issue, you may want to review your employment contract, company policies, or any applicable state labor laws that govern travel time and compensation.

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