Can a job make you travel?

An employer cannot force you to go on work-related travel, but if you refuse to go, you could be fired. All states in the United States, except Montana, can have “at-will” policies, meaning that, unless an employee has an employment contract that states otherwise, an employer can fire an employee for any reason.

What is the law on travel time to work?

For every 24-hour period, workers are entitled to at least 11 hours of rest. All employees are also entitled to an uninterrupted 20-minute break when they work for more than six hours. If an employee’s working day is extended to include travel time, you may be required to give them more rest breaks.

Is travel time part of your working day?

Travel time to and from work is not usually counted as working hours. However, travel as part of the employee’s duties is. Lunch breaks are not working hours (but a working lunch is). Being on standby to be called out, if the employee is at the place of work, is counted as working hours.

Is travel part of my working day?

Working time includes travelling where it is an integral part of the job, for example in the case of a travelling sales executive or a mobile repair person. This includes travel during normal working hours and travel between sites or clients since the travelling is an essential part of the work.

Should employees be reimbursed for working from home?

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) generally does not require that an employee be reimbursed for expenses incurred while working from home. The only time that the FLSA impacts work-from-home reimbursements is if the cost would lower the employee’s earnings beneath the applicable minimum wage.

When is travel away from home considered working time?

Special one-day assignments: If employees travel to another city and return home the same day, the time spent traveling to, and returning from, the other city is considered working time. Travel away from home overnight: This travel time is working time when it cuts across employees’ workdays.

When do employers not have to pay for travel?

If all travel is strictly limited to an employee’s non-working hours, you don’t have to pay for the time. Example: If the employee’s flight took off at 7 p.m., the employer would not have to pay for the time.

Can You claim commuting expenses for a temporary job?

If you travel to and from a temporary work location (where your assignment is expected to last no more than 1 year) outside your metropolitan area, you can claim commuting expenses. You can also claim commuting expenses to and from a temporary work site, regardless of location, as long as your main workplace is elsewhere.

When to include travel from one workplace to another?

Travel from one workplace to another during the same workday. The Portal-to-Portal Act requires an employer to include time spent traveling from one workplace to another during the same workday as hours worked.

If all travel is strictly limited to an employee’s non-working hours, you don’t have to pay for the time. Example: If the employee’s flight took off at 7 p.m., the employer would not have to pay for the time.

Special one-day assignments: If employees travel to another city and return home the same day, the time spent traveling to, and returning from, the other city is considered working time. Travel away from home overnight: This travel time is working time when it cuts across employees’ workdays.

When to pay employees for travel time Jean Murray?

Jean Murray, MBA, Ph.D., is an experienced business writer and teacher. She has written for The Balance on U.S. business law and taxes since 2008. In general, your business should pay employees for the time they spend traveling for work-related activities.