Traveling to events - Are you on company time?

That might do it.

 

If you are driving from the vacation cottage to cover your assignment as a journalist, you better not speed. You are probably wanted for robbing a bank.

 

Nah. I just sell my Tebow autographs on ebay. [crossthread]

 

Do they have a letter of authentication?

 

Just say "Pardon my French" before you say you're an asshole. (Old Ferris Bueller reference for you young'uns on the board.)

And yes, you are absolutely on the clock.

 

Doorstep to Doorstep.

But I'm not an ass about it. Let's say I've already worked a full day on a Friday and then get on a plane to go cover a college football game. I generally wouldn't put down the time. I'm not really doing anything, just hanging out along for the ride, and I enjoy traveling on my college football beat more than any aspect of my job, so I'm a little relaxed or else I'd be told we no longer cover road games. The same setup where I'm driving, then I'm on the clock.

If it's basketball or something I don't like, pay me or I don't go.

 

Has anyone given their bosses an ultimatum over the amount of time they work or their workload?

 

You're on work time. No question about it.

 

I think the Japanese woman got a picture of the autograph being signed.

 

How many of you are hourly?

 

I once had an editor try to tell me he wasn't going to pay me for an eight-hour round trip, let alone the overtime included, to cover a high school football game and then drive back the same night.

My first question was, "Why if you didn't want me to work 14 hours that day did you not spring for a hotel there?"

My second was to the HR director about the legality of this. She told the editor I was definitely going to get paid for every minute of that time if only because the company couldn't afford the lawsuit I would eventually win.

The same guy just a week later accused me of lying when I turned in my mileage from that assignment because the photographer who drover herself to that same playoff game put down about five fewer miles. Turns out she left from her house, which was about two miles closer to the destination than the office, which is where I started my trek.