Employees in positions classified as non-exempt or hourly under the Fair Labor Standards Act are eligible for compensation, in certain cases, for the time they spend traveling. The compensation an employee receives depends on several variables including, but not limited to, the method of travel, whether the travel time takes place within normal work hours, and whether the travel involves an overnight stay. The purpose of this policy is to explain what time is considered hours worked and is therefore compensable time.
From Home to Work or Work to Home
Normal travel from home to work at the start of the workday and from work to home at the end of the workday is not considered hours worked.
Travel Locally
Time spent by the employee in travel as part of their normal work activities, such as travel to and from the Anderson Center or to another location within the metro area, is considered hours worked.
Single Day Travel to Another City
Single day travel to another city (i.e. no overnight stay) is generally considered hours worked. See the charts below for specifics.
Type of Travel: Air When: Any day of the week | ||
|---|---|---|
ACTIVITY | ADDITIONAL DETAILS | HOURS WORKED (YES OR NO) |
| Travel time to and from airport | Outside of normal work hours | No |
| Travel time to and from airport | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Time spent at airport | Outside of normal work hours | Yes |
| Time spent at airport | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Meal times | At anytime | No |
| Time on the airplane | Outside of normal work hours | Yes |
| Time on the airplane | Within normal work hours | Yes |
Travel time once at destination (from airport to destination and between destinations as needed throughout day) |
Outside of normal work hours | Yes |
Travel time once at destination (from airport to destination and between destinations as needed throughout day) |
Within normal work hours | Yes |
Type of travel: Automobile, whether as a driver or passenger | ||
|---|---|---|
| ACTIVITY | ADDITIONAL DETAILS | HOURS WORKED (YES OR NO) |
| Travel time to and from destination | Outside of normal work hours | Yes |
| Travel time to and from destination | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Meal times | At anytime | No |
| Travel time once at destination | Outside of normal work hours | Yes |
| Travel time once at destination | Within normal work hours | Yes |
Overnight Travel
Travel involving an overnight stay is considered hours worked depending on when the travel occurs and whether or not the employee is a passenger. See the charts below for specifics.
Type of travel: Air | ||
|---|---|---|
ACTIVITY | ADDITIONAL DETAILS | HOURS WORKED (YES OR NO) |
| Travel time to and from airport | Outside of normal work hours | No |
| Travel time to and from airport | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Time spent at airport | Outside of normal work hours | Yes |
| Time spent at airport | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Meal times | At anytime | No |
| Time on the airplane and employee is not working | Outside of normal work hours | No |
| Time on the airplane and employee is not working | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Time on the airplane and employee is not working | Outside of normal work hours | Yes |
| Time on the airplane and employee is not working | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Travel time once at destination (from airport to hotel) | Outside of normal work hours | Yes |
| Travel time once at destination (from airport to hotel) | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Time at hotel | Outside of normal work hours | No |
| Time at hotel | Within normal work hours | Yes |
Type of travel: Automobile | ||
|---|---|---|
ACTIVITY | ADDITIONAL DETAILS | HOURS WORKED (YES OR NO) |
| Travel time as driver to and from destination and while at destination | Outside of normal work hours | Yes |
| Travel time as driver to and from destination and while at destination | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Travel time as passenger to and from destination and while at destination and employee is not working while riding in automobile | Outside of normal work hours | No |
| Travel time as passenger to and from destination and while at destination and employee is not working while riding in automobile | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Travel time as passenger to and from destination and while at destination and employee is working while riding in automobile | Outside of normal work hours | Yes |
| Travel time as passenger to and from destination and while at destination and employee is working while riding in automobile | Within normal work hours | Yes |
| Meal times | At anytime | No |
| Time at hotel | Outside of normal work hours | No |
| Time at hotel | Within normal work hours | Yes |
Time Zone Changes
When an employee travels between two or more time zones, the time zone associated with the point of departure should be used to determine whether the travel falls outside of normal work hours.
If the time zone changes during the travel day, the hours should be calculated on the “actual” hours when calculating hours worked on travel days.
EXAMPLES:
Departure flight: Employee left for the airport on a non-workday, but within work hours, at 9 a.m. CST. They arrived at the hotel in California at noon Pacific Standard Time (PST) (which is 2 p.m. CST). Actual hours of travel are 5 hours (9 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST).
Return flight: Employee left on a non-workday, but within work hours, for the airport at 10 a.m. PST (which is 8 a.m. CST) and returned to Minnesota at 1 p.m. CST (11 a.m. PST). Actual hours of travel are 5 hours (8 a.m. CST to 1 p.m. CST).
Recording Travel Time
All hours worked, including those for travel, must be accurately recorded on timesheets. Each employee must sign (self-service login acts as an electronic signature for online timesheets) their timesheet to verify that the reported hours worked are complete and accurate (and that there is no unrecorded or “off-the-clock” work). Timesheets must accurately reflect all regular and overtime hours worked, any absences, early or late arrivals, early or late departures and meal breaks.
At the end of each pay cycle, timesheets should be submitted for verification and approval by the supervisor. When employees receive their paychecks, they should be verified immediately that they were paid correctly for all regular and overtime hours worked each workweek.