Traveling to events - Are you on company time?

Here's a question that may have been covered before?

I recently drove five hours from our office to a regional tournament to cover our local team. Our executive editor claims that travel time is not considered part of your work hours.

We don't "punch a clock" but write our hours down on a sheet of paper, but I feel I'm on the clock when I leave for an assignment, be it 20 minutes down the road or five hours away.

The so-called "mileage stipend" we get - which is barely half the national rate - is strictly for gas/wear and tear?

Anybody have any thoughts on this because I'm thinking about fighting it.

 

You are absolutely on the clock. Tell your editor to cram it up his cramming hole.

 

What he said.

Having a driver's license is a requirement, right? Why do you think that is?

 

And a triple.

Traveling on assignment means you're at work. Check state and/or federal labor law and you'll see. You probably can even get a free yes/no consultation to this effect from a labor lawyer in your town.

Your executive editor is wrong and quite possibly an asshole.

 

If you're just driving to a game and back, that's work time. If you're spending the night at the Hyatt, you probably can't include naps.

 

What about if I take a nap between the game story and the notebook they want me to write? They'd never really know, right?

 

Travel hours are a tricky issue, legally.

But if you are driving to an event out of the area, you are almost always on the clock. (If the event is next door to your office and you are driving 5 hours from your vacation cottage, you are not on the clock.)

If you are flying, you probably aren't on the clock.

 

The time you spent driving is considered paid work. The editor can cram it. Don't let the editor rip you off.

 

I was always under the impression that flying time is on the clock. Just not any downtime you might have.

Personally, I hate that I'm not on the clock for every damn second that I'm spending out of town because of my job. If it's not what I would be choosing to do during that time, and my job requires me to be doing it, then it should be on the clock.

 

You're on the clock.

If not, then you would be working on your personal time. If you had a wreck they could say you weren't working for them and their insurance wouldn't have to pay. If you buy anything they can say it's your money, not theirs.

Travel time is work time, not your personal time.

 

If driving time wasn't paid, why would I drive anywhere? I'll be on the road for about four hours later today and I wouldn't do it for kicks and giggles.

 

I found out last winter that, at least in my state, they still aren't responsible. I hit a deer coming home from a basketball game and had to eat the insurance deductible. I checked into the law myself, and they were right that they didn't have to pay for it.