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??
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.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
