• Search Search Please fill out this field.
  • Building Your Business
  • Business Taxes

When Must I Pay Employees for Travel Time?

Travel Time vs. Commuting Time

Image by Jo Zixuan Zhou © The Balance 2020 

In general, your business should pay employees for the time they spend traveling for work-related activities. You don't have to pay employees for travel that is incidental to the employee's duties and time spent  commuting  (traveling between home and work). Travel time can include both local trips and travel away from home. 

Travel vs. Commuting Time 

Commuting is going back and forth to work. Everyone (at least everyone who doesn't work at home) commutes to a job. Commuting time is personal time, not business time. The IRS does not allow businesses to deduct commuting time as a business expense, and employees should not be paid for the commuting time.     

The Department of Labor (DOL) discusses employees who drive employer-provided vehicles. The DOL considers the time spent in home-to-work travel by an employee in an employer-provided vehicle, or in activities performed by an employee that are incidental to the use of the vehicle for commuting, generally is not "hours worked" and, therefore, does not have to be paid.  

Here's a possible rule of thumb: If your business authorizes a trip by an employee, no matter how the employee travels (car, train, bus, etc.) you should pay for the employee's travel time. 

Travel time for hourly and salaried employees may be counted differently. Pay to employees for local travel time is only applicable to non-exempt (hourly) employees, not to exempt (professional or managerial) employees.     Exempt employees are paid for their expertise by the job, not by the hour.  

Different Types of Travel Time:

Home to Work Travel , as explained above, is commuting time, not work time, and it's not paid.

Travel on Special One Day Assignment in Another City. The DOL says "the time spent in traveling to and return from the other city is work time," but they note that you may deduct the time the employee would spend commuting.

Sara works in an office in your company, but you send her to another city on a special assignment. She leaves from her home, goes to the city, and comes back home the same day. She spends 3 hours traveling (1 1/2 hours each way) from home to the other city. She would normally spend 30 minutes total driving from her home to work and back, so you could deduct the 30 minutes and pay her for 2 1/2 hours of travel time.

Travel That's Part of the Employee's Normal Work. Time an employee spends traveling is part of the job. You must count this time as work time. The time the employee spends going to the first job site, and home from the last job site, is commuting time and isn't paid.  

An LPN (licensed professional nurse) works for a nursing facility and travels between the two locations of this facility, providing care for patients at both locations. Her daily travel time between these locations must be included in her pay because she is not commuting. But she can't count the time driving from home to the first location or the time back home from the last location.

Travel Away from Home. If travel includes an overnight stay it is travel time. The DOL doesn't include travel away from home outside regular hours as a passenger on an airplane, train, boat, bus, or car as work time. But you must count hours worked on regular working days and work hours on nonworking days (weekends and holidays).  

If an employee travels from Cleveland to Pittsburgh for a two-day seminar at the direction of your company, you must pay for the hours the employee would have worked in a normal workday for each of those days, even if they were on Saturday or Sunday.

Incidental vs. Work Travel: Paid or Not Paid?

  • An employee drives to work from his home every day. You ask him to stop on his way and pick up bagels for the staff meeting. This driving time is not paid. Time commuting to work is never paid time; the time to stop for the bagels is "incidental" to the commuting and is not part of the employee's job. 
  • You ask an employee to drive to a store on work time to get bagels for the office meeting. If the employee makes this trip during normal work hours, he or she should be paid. 

Also, you might want to contact an employment attorney to discuss these issues. 

Paying for Travel Expenses

In addition to paying employees for travel time, you should pay their expenses for travel. The Department of Labor doesn't require reimbursement for travel expenses, but it makes sense to pay employees if you require them to travel.   Your business can deduct employee travel expenses as a business expense.   If employees mix business and personal travel, you need to sort out the part that is business-related and pay only these expenses. 

State Regulations on Paying for Employee Travel

Check with your state labor department to see if there are any rules which might override the federal rules. Contact the nearest local office of the U.S. Department of Labor for information on specific instances of travel time that affect your business.

Internal Revenue Service. " Publication 535 (2019): Business Expenses ," Page 5. Accessed May 26, 2020.

Internal Revenue Service. " Travel & Entertainment Expenses ," Page 3. Accessed May 26, 2020.

U.S. Department of Labor. " Travel Time ." Accessed May 26, 2020.

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. " Travel Time ." Accessed May 26, 2020.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management. " Fact Sheet: Hours of Work for Travel ." Accessed May 26, 2020.

U.S. Department of Labor. " Fact Sheet #17D: Exemption for Professional Employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ," Pages 1-3. Accessed May 26, 2020.

U.S. Department of Labor. " Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ." Accessed May 26, 2020.

U.S. Department of Labor. " Opinion Letter FLSA 2018 ," Page 2. Accessed May 26, 2020.

U.S. Department of Labor. " Reimbursed Travel Expense Payments ," Page 1. Accessed May 26, 2020.

Internal Revenue Service. " Topic No. 511 Business Travel Expenses ." Accessed May 26, 2020.

Cart

  • SUGGESTED TOPICS
  • The Magazine
  • Newsletters
  • Managing Yourself
  • Managing Teams
  • Work-life Balance
  • The Big Idea
  • Data & Visuals
  • Reading Lists
  • Case Selections
  • HBR Learning
  • Topic Feeds
  • Account Settings
  • Email Preferences

How to Ease Back into Traveling for Work

  • Elizabeth Grace Saunders

travelling time for work

Four strategies for your next business trip.

Transitioning back into business travel after the Covid-19 pandemic isn’t as simple as buying a plane ticket. Individuals are having to remember how to pack efficiently, adjust to time zone changes, and modify their meeting schedules — and that’s on top of monitoring differences in travel restrictions, quarantine requirements, and Covid risk levels throughout the world.

Use these strategies to transition back into work travel. First, evaluate the benefit. Think carefully about where you believe travel would add the greatest benefit versus working remotely. Second, right size the investment. Even as you’re able to fold more business travel into your schedule, question whether all the travel you used to do really needs to be added back in. Third, pace yourself by starting small, and then building up after you see how you feel. Finally, leave margin. If you’ve got important business travel, give yourself more flexibility than you used to do, and make sure you have access to everything you need, like food and car rentals.

In 2020, with the introduction of Covid-19 restrictions, travel dramatically dropped domestically and internationally, with business travel down by 90% at the lowest point in the year. Now, as more and more individuals are returning to the office, work travel is coming back. But it’s not all clear skies. As a time management coach, I’ve seen that returning to business travel can be almost as disorienting after a two-year hiatus as the sudden lurch into fully remote work was. My clients are having to remember how to pack efficiently, adjust to time zone changes, and modify their meeting schedules when they’re now on the road for work.

travelling time for work

  • ES Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time management coach and the founder of Real Life E Time Coaching & Speaking . She is the author of How to Invest Your Time Like Money and Divine Time Management . Find out more at RealLifeE.com .

Partner Center

Bean Kinney Korman Logo

DOL Explains When Employees Must Be Paid for Travel Time

Jul 6, 2018

 alt=

Eighty years ago the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) established federal minimum wage and overtime requirements for hourly employees. The law’s basic tenet seems straightforward: Employers must pay employees for their “work.” Yet for many employers, compliance with the FLSA on issues such as employee travel time continues to be problematic because the FLSA does not really explain when an employee is at “work.”

The FLSA and Portal-to-Portal Act

The Supreme Court initially explained that “work” time means when an employee’s activities are controlled or required primarily for the benefit of the employer. Congress subsequently added some specifics to the Supreme Court’s expansive definition. The Portal-to-Portal Act, an amendment to the FLSA, provides that employee work time does not include:

(1) Travel to and from the actual place of performance of the principal activity the employee is employed to perform; or

(2) Activities that are undertaken before or after the employee’s principal work activity.

Three Scenarios and DOL’s Opinion Letter FLSA 2018-18

Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter in response to a company’s questions about travel time pay for a group of hourly employees who repair, inspect and test construction cranes. The employees do not have a fixed work location; they travel to various customer locations each day. They usually work eight to twelve hour days servicing cranes, and generally start work at around 7:00 a.m. Depending on the availability of parts and other factors, the employees may need to stay in a hotel overnight and return in the morning to complete a job. Employees are provided company vehicles that may be used for both work and personal matters.

Three travel time scenarios were considered by the DOL:

(1) Employee travel time from home to the company’s office, using a company vehicle, to obtain a job itinerary and then continue on to various customer locations. Travel time from home to office varies from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on where the employee lives.

(2) Employee travel time from home directly to a customer location; and

(3) Employee travel time by plane on a Sunday from home to an out-of-state destination for a company training that begins at 8:00 a.m. on Monday. The training continues through Friday, with return travel home on Friday after class, or occasionally on Saturday, depending on flight availability.

The first two scenarios involve common commutes to and from work. Under the Portal-to-Portal Act, employees do not need to be paid for time spent commuting between home and work. This generally holds true, even when the employee travels directly from home to different job sites, unless the commute time involved is extraordinary. Once the employee has arrived at the job, however, FLSA regulations require payment for all travel time between job sites during the day. Use of a company-provided vehicle within the normal commuting area typically does not convert the employee’s ordinary commute into compensable work time.

Scenario three implicated how to account for employee travel time away from home, both on the weekend and overnight. Travel away from home is clearly worktime when it cuts across the employee’s usual work day; the employee is simply substituting travel for usual job duties. This also includes travel time on Saturday and Sunday that corresponds to the employee’s normal working hours on other days of the week. The DOL also noted that an employee must be paid for all time the employee is actually required to work while on travel, irrespective of whether or not it falls within the employee’s regular work day.

What Does this Mean to You?

Calculating employee travel time can pose a significant challenge for many employers. There are multiple factors you must take into account, even when an employee is traveling within his home territory. There are no bright lines to establish when an employee has strayed outside his normal commuting area, converting what would have been an unpaid commute into time on the clock. The FLSA requires employers to maintain accurate time records for employees; a failure to do so can result in significant statutory damages and attorneys’ fees.

If you find yourself facing such employee travel circumstances as described here, the employment law attorneys at Bean, Kinney & Korman can assist in evaluating your company’s particular environment and help craft a reasonable solution that will address the situation.

  • R. Douglas Taylor, Jr.

Related Practices Areas

  • Business & Finance

Related Industries

  • Associations & Nonprofit Organizations
  • Professional & Licensed Occupations
  • Retailers & Restaurateurs
  • Small, Emerging & Growing Businesses

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government.

Here’s how you know

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

  • Misclassification
  • Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  • Pump at Work
  • Maternal Health
  • Retaliation
  • Government Contracts
  • Immigration
  • Child Labor
  • Agricultural Employment
  • Subminimum Wage
  • Employment of Workers With Disabilities
  • Lie Detector Tests
  • Davis Bacon Prevailing Wage Survey
  • WORKER RIGHTS
  • Resources For Employers
  • Regulatory Library
  • Interpretive Guidance
  • Industry-Specific Resources
  • Compliance Assistance
  • elaws Advisors
  • Fact Sheets
  • New and Small Businesses Resources
  • Presentations
  • External User Portal (EUP)
  • Compliance Assistance Toolkits
  • New and Small Business Resources
  • Publications By Language
  • FLSA Compliance Videos
  • Know Your Rights Video Series
  • Employer.gov
  • DOL Enforcement Database
  • Workers Owed Wages
  • Order Publications
  • Laws and Regulations
  • Field Handbook
  • Administrator Interpretations, Opinion and Ruling Letters
  • Field Bulletins
  • State Minimum Wage Laws
  • State Labor Law Topics
  • State Labor Offices
  • Resources for State and Local Governments
  • NEWS RELEASES
  • Travel Time
  • Credit toward Wages under Section 3(m) of the FLSA for Lodging Provided to Employees
  • Domestic Service Final Rule Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
  • Domestic Service Workers Under the Fair Labor Standards Act: Fact Sheets
  • Exclusion of Sleep Time from Hours Worked by Domestic Service Employees
  • For Agencies and Other Employers
  • For Individuals and Families
  • For Workers
  • Home Care: Additional Resources
  • Medicaid Shared Living Programs
  • Paying Minimum Wage and Overtime to Home Care Workers: A Guide for Consumers and their Families to the FLSA
  • Rest Breaks and Meal Breaks
  • What are the minimum wage, overtime pay, and recordkeeping requirements?

A worker who travels from home to work and returns to his or her home at the end of the workday is engaged in ordinary home-to-work travel which is a normal incident of employment. Normal travel from home to work and return at the end of the workday is not work time. This is true whether the employee works at a fixed location or at a different location each day. For live-in workers, home-to-work travel that is typically unpaid does not apply in this case because the employee begins and ends his or her workday at the same home in which he or she resides.

Travel that is all in a day's work, however, is considered hours worked and must be paid.

Example : Barbara is a personal care aide providing assistance to Mr. Jones. Barbara drives him to the Post Office and grocery store during the workday. Barbara is working and the travel time must be paid. Travel away from the home is clearly work time when it cuts across the employee's workday. The employee is merely substituting travel for other duties. Thus, if an employee hired to provide home care services to an individual (consumer) accompanies that consumer on travel away from home, the employee must be paid for all time spent traveling during the employee's regular working hours. As an enforcement policy, WHD will not consider as work time the time the employee spends as a passenger on an airplane, train, boat, bus or automobile when in travel away from home outside of regular working hours. However, the employee must be paid for all hours engaged in work or "engaged to wait" while on travel. For example, an employee who is required to travel as a passenger with the consumer "as an assistant or helper" and is expected to perform services as needed is working even though traveling outside of the employee's regular work hours. However, periods where the employee is completely relieved from duty, which are long enough to enable him or her to use the time effectively for his or her own purposes, are not hours worked and need not be compensated.

Example : John is a personal attendant for Mrs. Brown, who lives in Atlanta. Mrs. Brown attends a conference in New York City and John accompanies her by plane. John normally works 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Mrs. Brown's daughter takes her to the airport where they meet John for the flight at 6:00 pm. WHD will not consider the flight time as compensable hours because it is time spent in travel away from home outside of regular working hours as a passenger on an airplane if John is completely relieved from duty. If John provides assistance to Mrs. Brown while at the airport or during the flight or must be available to assist or help as needed, he is working and must be compensated for this time.

Direct care workers who are employed by a third-party employer : Such an employee who travels from home to work and returns to his or her home at the end of the workday is engaged in ordinary home-to-work travel that is not compensable work time. However, travel from job site to job site during the workday, such as travel between several clients during the workday, is compensable hours worked. The third-party employer is responsible for ensuring that travel time from job site to job site is paid.

Information on the Home Care Final Rule

travelling time for work

Business Travel 101: Tips For Your First Time Traveling For Work

travelling time for work

Some articles on Rachel Off Duty contain ads and affiliate links. If you plan on buying or booking something I’ve recommended, please consider using my links, which help power this site at no additional cost to you! To learn more, read our Privacy Policy .

Some articles on Rachel Off Duty may contain affiliate links. Read more in our Privacy Policy.

Rachel Off Duty: Tips for Your First Time Traveling for Work

Traveling for work seems glamorous on the surface.

You’ve got free flights, time out of the office, and your company is paying for (almost) everything.

Who wouldn’t want that?

But anyone who’s actually taken a business trip knows there’s another side to this coin. Between the red-eye flights, working remotely , and juggling back-to-back meetings and events – it’s exhausting.

Well, it can be.

The savviest business travelers know the importance of time management, efficient packing, and trip planning that allows you to squeeze in some exploration without missing a single meeting (all while still getting enough sleep).

If you’re a first-time business traveler, here’s how you can still bring your A-game and see more of the world at the same time!

RELATED: How to Prevent Burnout When Traveling for Work: 5 Tips

Tips for Your First Time Traveling For Work

Rachel Off Duty: Tips for First-Time Business Travelers

Know Your Company’s Travel Policy Like The Back of Your Hand

The secret weapon in your business travel toolkit? Memorizing your company’s travel policy.

Why? Well, for two important reasons:

  • If you’re clueless about what is allowed, you could be leaving some serious business travel perks on the table.
  • If you’re clueless about what isn’t allowed, you might have an unexpected deduction on your paycheck next month.

Before your first work trip, take the time to review your company’s travel policy word for word and note anything crucial that you’ll need to remember as you begin to pack your bags. 

By the time you’re done familiarizing yourself with your policy, you should know things like:

  • Your per diem for travel days (i.e., do you get a flat amount for expenses, or a unique budget per item, like breakfasts, lunches, dinners by yourself or with clients, and transportation?).
  • Whether or not you need receipts (physical or a scanned copy) for purchases.
  • What expenses are up for reimbursement (e.g., will your company cover your visa application fee? Your rental car? Your checked bag?) 
  • The deadlines for submitting expense reports.
  • How much can you spend per night on a hotel room? Does it need to be a specific hotel or hotel chain? Can you use an alternative accommodation like Airbnb or VRBO?
  • Can you use your frequent flyer number to collect flight miles? Does it need to be a specific airline?
  • Can you use your own credit card or is there a company card?

What happens if your company’s travel policy isn’t super clear on the above? Set up some time with HR and/or your boss to go over these details and address any lingering questions you might have.

Doing so will help prevent any surprise expenses before, during, and after a work trip.

Tip: Use an app like Mint.com to track all your expenses and take pictures of every single receipt you get as soon as you’re handed it, just in case you lose any!

RELATED: How to Ask Your Boss for More Vacation Time (The Right Way)

Book The Right Hotel

Booking a Hotel for Traveling for Work

Booking a hotel room seems pretty basic, right?

Hop onto a site like Booking.com , put in your budget range, select the “I’m traveling for work” box (which allows you to filter for key amenities like free wifi or included breakfast), and you’re done.

Well… it’s not that easy .

When traveling for work to a new city, other factors that you can’t always control come into play.

First of all, you might be limited to a specific hotel or hotel chain your company has a negotiated agreement and special rate with, which means you won’t have a choice as to where you stay. However, if your company doesn’t have a specific hotel requirement, you have to make sure to familiarize yourself with the city and the surroundings using Google Maps. The worst thing you could do is accidentally choose a hotel far away or in an unsafe neighborhood. 

To avoid this, figure out where your meetings or work obligations will be, and try your best to book a hotel room as close as possible to it.

You might have to pay more for a hotel with a convenient location, which will no doubt save you travel time and the stress of navigating a new city. But keep in mind that more expensive accommodations should be discussed with your company in case they fall outside of the suggested hotel budget listed in their travel policy.

What if you’re not the one booking your hotel room? Speak to the person in charge of corporate travel at your company and give them a list of your preferences, such as:

  • Walking/driving distance to the location(s) you need to visit for work
  • Amenities like reliable wifi, secure parking, a business center, etc.
  • Desired neighborhood preferences
  • Hotel policy and procedure for booking with a card that is not in your name

Related: Where Traveling for Work Meets Actually Enjoying Yourself – How Cambria Hotels Cater to Business Travelers

Give Yourself Enough Time for the Unexpected

Rachel Off Duty: Drinks at a Restaurant in Park City

Whether you’re traveling for work or pleasure, you need to expect the unexpected.

  • Flights can get canceled or delayed.
  • Traffic delays can prevent you from getting to a meeting on time.
  • The airline could lose your bags in transit.

While these scenarios may be out of your control, you can give yourself a bit more breathing room to react and recover by doing these things:

  • Instead of flying into the city the same day as your meeting, fly in the night before.
  • If you’ve booked a red-eye flight, try to give yourself enough time to catch up on sleep before your first meeting.
  • Driving to your meeting? Give yourself a bit more time in case traffic is bad or parking is difficult.
  • Book a direct flight whenever possible. It will help you avoid missing connections and get you to your destination more quickly.

By following these tips, you’ll arrive on time, feel fully rested, and be stress-free so you can perform at your best!

Plan Your Sightseeing AFTER Important Meetings

If you’re a long-time reader, you’ll know I’m all about maximizing my work trips by using them to help me explore more of the world.

While work travel isn’t a vacation, if you’re smart with your time and plan ahead, you can squeeze in a weekend trip or quick adventure by simply extending your business trip by an extra day or two.

The trick here is to always plan your sightseeing after your meetings or when the conference you’re attending has ended. Give yourself the time to solely focus on your work so you can show up and be 100% focused on the tasks at hand.

Then, when work is over, reward yourself!

Book that NYC food tour of your dreams. Go on a short hike up Ensign Peak in Salt Lake City , or spend an afternoon wandering around the Desert Botanical Garden in Tempe, Arizona.

Just don’t go too crazy with your itinerary. Give yourself ample time to explore without rushing, and keep your sight-seeing goals reasonable, because exploring after work trips usually doesn’t leave you with as much time as if you were just going on vacation.

I promise if you dial back a bit, you’ll enjoy the whole experience more, and you’ll have some time to reset before you’re back at work.

And who knows? You could stumble onto a gem you didn’t know about and would have missed if you stuck to a super rigid itinerary.

RELATED: 9 Tips for Working While Traveling and Staying Productive

Don’t Ditch Your Healthy Eating & Workout Habits

travelling time for work

When you travel, it’s easy to accidentally skip a meal here or there with all the running around, or order a super decadent meal because it’s quick and easy (and you’re likely not paying for it).

While indulging in fast food and networking cocktails is all fine and well (and often comes with the territory of entertaining clients and attending events), moderation is key – especially if you’re on the go often!

As a business traveler, you need to fuel your body with things that will make you feel good and maintain your energy levels whenever possible. If you don’t, you might feel sluggish in meetings, and your motivation will plummet before the end of the day, making it hard to concentrate and do your job.

Here are my tips for staying healthy while on the road:

  • Don’t skip breakfast. You need to give your body enough energy to last throughout the day, and breakfast is especially important if you’re normally a breakfast eater when you’re home. When ordering your meal, choose something like granola and yogurt, or eggs and turkey bacon, instead of a pastry. Sugary treats don’t give you long-term energy, and you’ll crash from your high before it’s time for lunch.
  • Stay hydrated. I always travel with a reusable water bottle, and I bring it wherever I go throughout the day. Lots of conference setups will typically have water refill stations anyway, and you can feel good about skipping the unnecessary plastic if you’ve already brought your own.
  • Keep snacks in your bag. Not all airline food is great, and some meetings mentally drain you before lunchtime. Keep a few snacks like protein bars in your bag to munch on throughout your business trip. It will keep you satiated and stop you from spending money on overpriced airport food.
  • Research nearby cafes and restaurants. You’re less likely to opt for some Taco Bell if you have a list of healthy eating options at your fingertips. Before your work trip, spend some time researching nearby eateries with healthier menu options for lunches and dinners on the days you don’t have work commitments.
  • Try not to skip workouts. Before you start the day, a solid workout can clear your mind, help you sleep better, and keep your fitness goals on track. If your hotel comes with a gym, use it. If it doesn’t, log onto YouTube or turn to pretty much any online bodyweight-only workout program.

Related: 5 Workout Ideas That Can Be Done At Home or On the Road

Pace Yourself at Work Events

Rachel Off Duty: Pacing Yourself at Work Events

When you’re having after-work drinks in a new city, it’s tempting to have more than one.

That’s totally cool, but remember – alcohol and a good night’s rest don’t mix.

It’s long been said that the effects of alcohol significantly reduce the quality of sleep and the amount of time spent in REM.

REM is a mentally restorative type of sleep, and when you’re traveling for work, you want to maximize your time there as much as possible.

I know when I’m away on a business trip, my days are usually packed with back-to-back meetings. The only way I can get through those days is by having a good 7-hour sleep and keeping my night outs short and to a minimum.

If your meetings are out of the way though, by all means, treat yourself on the last night in a new city!

Packing for Business Travel Tips

Rachel Off Duty: Packing for First Time Traveling for Work

To end things off, here are some quick packing tips to always keep in mind as a corporate traveler:

  • Try to stick to carry on only when possible
  • Invest in a sharp-looking purse or tote that can be used both for travel and for meetings
  • Pack any items you need to help you fall asleep faster (eye masks, melatonin, earplugs, etc.)
  • Pack clothes that don’t wrinkle easily
  • Use garment bags to help keep items wrinkle-free, and shoe bags to avoid accidentally dirtying your clothes
  • Bring back-ups of important meeting resources (have copies of your presentation on a USB or Google Drive, pack extra business cards, etc)

Business Travel FAQ

Rachel Off Duty: Business Travel

  • Can I deduct my business travel expenses? Yes, you can. However, you need to check with your employer or whoever helps you with your taxes to confirm what is and isn’t covered.
  • What business jobs allow you to travel? In most industries, sales reps and client-facing contributors usually travel the most to attend client meetings and build up relationships. But, all kinds of career paths can have travel perks. Marketers often attend conferences and set up events, specialists in various fields have their annual trade shows, and consultants often hop on planes to visit their customers in person. Looking for something more remote with added travel flexibility? Consider one of these 18 careers that you can do 100% remotely from anywhere in the world. 
  • What is good business travel etiquette? Good business travel etiquette is observing and practicing cultural and social norms and representing your personal brand and your company’s with poise wherever you go. It also includes the same principles you’d follow when in the office – showing up on time, preparing your notes, dressing appropriately, and treating your colleagues with respect. 
  • What is business travel accident insurance? Business travel insurance is a plan that protects employees who travel for work domestically or internationally. It usually covers occupational and non-occupational accidents and health cover while traveling on company business. Consult your travel policy or ask your employer if this will be available to you when you travel.

If you’ve traveled for work, what are your top tips for first-time business travelers? If you haven’t, tell me below where you’re headed!

Read This Next:

  • How to Find a Coworking Space You’ll Love
  • 9 Tips for Working While Traveling and Staying Productive
  • Where Traveling for Work Meets Actually Enjoying Yourself: How Cambria Hotels Cater to Business Travelers
  • How to Prevent Burnout When Traveling for Work: 5 Tips
  • 6 Tips For Embracing the Work From Home Lifestyle
  • How to Stay in the Zone When You Work From Home

Pin For Later:

Tips for Your First Time Traveling for Work - Rachel Off Duty

Hey there! I’m Rachel, a travel writer and a full-time advertising / marketing expert. In 2019, I traveled more than 25 times while working 9 to 5, and since then I’ve committed myself to living a more adventurous life, even if it means bringing my laptop along for the ride. Are you hungry to travel more, but overwhelmed with how to juggle work and play? You’ve come to the right place!

Recent Adventures:

travelling time for work

The Best Places to Visit in Peru For First-Timers

travelling time for work

Top Woman-Owned Travel Companies That Should Be on Your Radar

travelling time for work

Los Angeles Staycation Idea: Two Days in Palos Verdes, California

Let's go places.

  • Updated on: July 22, 2021

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Follow the Off Duty Life

travelling time for work

Join a Community of Go-Getting Travelers.

Sign up below!

travelling time for work

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • A–Z Index
  • Operating Status

Search Button

Resources For

  • New / Prospective Employees
  • Federal Employees
  • HR Professionals

Hours of Work for Travel

Fact sheet: hours of work for travel, description.

In limited circumstances, travel time may be considered hours of work. The rules on travel hours of work depend on whether an employee is covered by or exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). For FLSA-exempt employees, the crediting of travel time as hours of work is governed under title 5 rules-in particular, 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2) and 5544(a)(3) and 5 CFR 550.112(g) and (j). For FLSA-covered employees, travel time is credited if it is qualifying hours of work under either the title 5 rules or under OPM's FLSA regulations-in particular, 5 CFR 551.401(h) and 551.422.

Employee Coverage

Title 5 overtime laws and regulations apply to most FLSA-exempt Federal employees, including General Schedule and prevailing rate employees. Certain employees, such as members of the Senior Executive Service, are not eligible for overtime pay or other premium pay under title 5. (See 5 U.S.C. 5541(2) and 5 CFR 550.101 for coverage rules.)

OPM's FLSA regulations apply to most FLSA-covered Federal employees. (See 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2) and 5544(a)(3) and 5 CFR 551.102.) An employee may determine his or her FLSA status by checking block 35 of the most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) to find out whether his or her position is nonexempt (N) or exempt (E) from the overtime pay provisions of the FLSA. Alternatively, an employee may obtain a determination from his or her servicing personnel office.

Overtime Work

In general, overtime hours are hours of work that are ordered or approved (or are "suffered or permitted" for FLSA-covered employees) and are performed by an employee in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a workweek. (See 5 U.S.C. 5542(a), 5544(a), and 6121(6) and (7), and 5 CFR 550.111 and 551.501. Note exceptions.)

Travel That is Hours of Work Under Title 5

Under 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2) and 5 CFR 550.112(g), official travel away from an employee's official duty station is hours of work if the travel is-

  • within the days and hours of the employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek, including regularly scheduled overtime hours, or
  • involves the performance of work while traveling (such as driving a loaded truck);
  • is incident to travel that involves the performance of work while traveling (such as driving an empty truck back to the point of origin);
  • is carried out under arduous and unusual conditions (e.g., travel on rough terrain or under extremely severe weather conditions); or
  • results from an event that could not be scheduled or controlled administratively by any individual or agency in the executive branch of Government (such as training scheduled solely by a private firm or a job-related court appearance required by a court subpoena).

An agency may not adjust an employee's normal regularly scheduled administrative workweek solely to include travel hours that would not otherwise be considered hours of work.

Travel That is Hours of Work Under the FLSA

For FLSA-covered employees, time spent traveling is hours of work if-

  • an employee is required to travel during regular working hours (i.e., during the regularly scheduled administrative workweek);
  • an employee is required to work during travel (e.g., by being required to drive a Government vehicle as part of a work assignment);
  • an employee is required to travel as a passenger on a 1-day assignment away from the official duty station; or
  • an employee is required to travel as a passenger on an overnight assignment away from the official duty station during hours on nonworkdays that correspond to the employee's regular working hours. (See 5 CFR 551.422(a).)

Official Duty Station

"Official duty station" is defined in 5 CFR 550.112(j) and 551.422(d). An agency may prescribe a mileage radius of not greater than 50 miles to determine whether an employee's travel is within or outside the limits of the employee's official duty station for determining entitlement to overtime pay for travel.

Administrative Workweek

An administrative workweek is a period of 7 consecutive calendar days designated in advance by the head of an agency under 5 U.S.C. 6101. The regularly scheduled administrative workweek is the period within the administrative workweek during which the employee is scheduled to work in advance of the administrative workweek. (See definitions in 5 CFR 610.102. See also 5 CFR 550.103 and 551.421.)

Commuting Time

For FLSA-covered employees, normal commuting time from home to work and from work to home is not hours of work. (See 5 CFR 551.422(b).) However, commuting time may be hours of work to the extent that the employee is required to perform substantial work under the control and direction of the employing agency-i.e., productive work of a significant nature that is an integral and indispensable part of the employee's principal activities. The fact that an employee is driving a Government vehicle in commuting to and from work is not a basis for determining that commuting time is hours of work. (See Bobo decision cited in the References section.)

Similarly, for FLSA-exempt employees, normal commuting time from home to work and from work to home is not hours of work. (See 5 CFR 550.112(j)(2).) However, commuting time may be hours of work to the extent that the employee is officially ordered or approved to perform substantial work while commuting.

Normal "home-to-work/work-to-home" commuting includes travel between an employee's home and a temporary duty location within the limits of the employee's official duty station. For an employee assigned to a temporary duty station overnight, normal "home-to-work/work-to-home" commuting also includes travel between the employee's temporary place of lodging and a work site within the limits of the temporary duty station.

If an employee (whether FLSA-covered or exempt) is required to travel directly between home and a temporary duty location outside the limits of the employee's official duty station, the time the employee would have spent in normal commuting must be deducted from any hours of work outside the regularly scheduled administrative workweek (or, for FLSA covered employees, outside corresponding hours on a nonwork day) that may be credited for the travel time. (The travel time is credited as hours of work only as allowed under the applicable rules-e.g., for an FLSA-covered employee, if the travel is part of a 1-day assignment away from the official duty station.)

  • 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2) (General Schedule employees)
  • 5 U.S.C. 5544(a)(3) (Prevailing rate employees)
  • 5 CFR 550.112(g) and (j), 610.102, and 610.123
  • 5 CFR 551.401(h) and 551.422 (OPM's FLSA regulations)
  • Decision by United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Jerry Bobo v. United States , 136 F.3rd 1465 (Fed. Cir. 1998) affirming Court of Federal Claims decision of same name, 37 Fed. Cl. 690 (Fed. Cl. 1997).
  • Section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 84) as amended in 1996 by section 2102 of Public Law 104-188. (See 29 U.S.C. 254.)

Back to Top

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Department of Commerce logo

Office of Human Resources Management

  • Practitioners
  • Compensation Policies
  • Premium Pay

Was this page helpful?

Travel time as hours of work, applicability.

This information applies to GS, FP, and FWS EXEMPT and NONEXEMPT employees.

When is Travel Compensable

Time in a travel status away from the official duty station is compensable for EXEMPT and NONEXEMPT employees when the travel is performed within the regularly scheduled administrative workweek, including regularly scheduled overtime. In addition, travel is compensable for both categories of employees for purposes of meeting the daily and weekly overtime standards when it:

  • Involves the performance of work while traveling, (e.g., as a chauffeur or courier);
  • Is incident to work performed while traveling (e.g., a courier's travel relative to the spot where further travel to deliver a diplomatic pouch would begin);
  • Is carried out under such arduous and unusual conditions that the travel is inseparable from work; or
  • Results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively, including travel by an employee to such an event and the employee's return from such an event to his or her official duty station.

For a NONEXEMPT employee, travel meeting the weekly overtime standard (but not the daily overtime standard) also includes:

  • Travel as a passenger on an overnight assignment during hours on nonworkdays which correspond to regular working hours; and
  • One-day travel as a passenger to and from a temporary duty station (not including travel between home and the employee's normal duty station).

Who Makes the Determination

Officials to whom authority has been delegated to authorize or approve travel on official business are responsible for determining whether travel outside the regularly scheduled workweek meets any of the conditions for hours of work.

How Much Travel Time is Creditable For Pay

When travel outside the normal workweek constitutes hours of work, the following rules will apply in determining the amount of time in a travel status that is deemed hours of work for premium pay:

When is an employee in travel status . An employee is in a travel status only for those hours actually traveling between the official duty station and the point of destination, or between two temporary duty points, and the usual waiting time which interrupts travel.

When traveling by common carrier . Time in a travel status begins with the scheduled time of departure from the common carrier terminal, and ends upon arrival at the common carrier terminal located at the destination. However, when the employee spends 1 hour or more in travel between the common carrier terminal and place of business or residence, then the entire time traveling between the carrier terminal and place of business or residence (that is actual time traveling, exclusive of waiting time at the terminal prior to the scheduled departure time) counts as hours of work.

Waiting time . Usual waiting time between segments of a trip or at common carrier terminals counts as worktime for premium pay (up to 3 hours in unusually adverse circumstances, e.g., holiday air traffic, severe weather) provided travel away from the duty station is compensable because it meets any of the conditions of this Section.

Authority to Order Noncompensable Travel

Congress has not provided a remedy whereby an EXEMPT employee who performs official but noncompensable hours of travel may be compensated (57 Comp. Gen. 43, 50, 1977). A manager does, however, have the authority to schedule official travel that is noncompensable. As a requirement of 5 CFR 610.123, the manager must record the reasons for ordering such travel in a memo to be filed with the employee's Time and Attendance Report (T&A). A copy of the memo must be given the employee if the employee requests it.

Work performed while traveling . In order to meet the intent of the law as defined in the majority of Comptroller General decisions, work performed while traveling must be work which is inherent in the employee's job and which can only be performed while traveling, e.g., chauffeuring, hurricane reconnaissance performed aboard a plane flying into the eye of the hurricane, etc. Discretionary work such as review of a scientific presentation by a scientist or treaty papers by a foreign service officer enroute to a meeting is work which could be performed in an office independently of travel and does not satisfy the definition of work while traveling and is, therefore, not compensable for purposes of overtime. (B-146288, January 3, 1975)

Work incident to work performed while traveling . Travel which is incident to work performed while traveling must also meet the definition of "work performed while traveling" above. Travel which is necessary to meet another mode of travel is compensable for overtime purposes if the traveler performs work while traveling which is an inherent part of the job and which could only be performed while traveling, for example, a motor vehicle operator who is ordered to travel by plane in order to take responsibility for a truck which he or she is then to deliver to its permanent location (57 Comp. Gen. 43 (1977), or a courier who travels to pick up and deliver a pouch (B-178458, dated June 22, 1973). Travel and incidental transport of files is not within the definition since the transportation of files is work not inherent in the job (B-181632, dated April 1, 1975).

Travel under arduous conditions . Arduous means more than the inconvenience associated with long travel delays, unbroken travel, unpleasant weather, or bad roads. Prolonged travel in heavy blowing snow which makes driving difficult but stops short of endangering the employee might be considered arduous. A distinction must be made between travel which is arduous and travel which is hazardous duty. Each case must be judged on its own merits (B-193623,

July 23, 1979).

Travel resulting from an event which could not be administratively scheduled or controlled . An event that cannot be administratively scheduled or controlled implies immediate official necessity for travel. If it is discretionary when the employee begins travel, not including the minimum necessary time to make travel arrangements, the notion of immediate necessity which is implied by an event that could not be scheduled or controlled is lacking and the intent of the law as defined by the General Accounting Office is not satisfied. Therefore, time spent in such travel would not be compensable for overtime purposes

(B-186005, August 31, 1976).

Within the agency's administrative control . Whether the scheduling or timing of the event that precipitates an employee's travel was within the administrative control of the agency is strictly interpreted in decisions of the Comptroller General (CG). Travel on overtime to and from a meeting arranged at the discretion of two Federal agencies is not compensable since agencies have it within their power to ensure that the employee travels during work time (B-146288, January 3, 1975 et alia).

For the same reason, travel to and from training which is conducted by the government, under government contract or by a private institution solely for the benefit* of the government is not compensable since the government has it within its power to ensure that the start and end times of such training allow the employee to travel on work time (B-190494, May 8, 1978; also, 66 CG 620, 1987).

*In William A. Lewis et al, 69 CG 545 (1990). The CG ruled travel on overtime to and from training that is given by a private institution is compensable because government cannot control the private institution or its scheduling of the course. The Lewis opinion further held that the notion of "immediate official necessity for travel" which prior CG decisions have held must be present in travel which responds to an event that is not schedulable or controllable was established by the start time of the class. To be present when the class began, the employees had to travel on Sunday.

NOTE : The regulations which govern training time which is compensable as overtime and travel to and from training are separate and distinct. The circumstances under which premium pay may be paid while an individual is in training are covered in the section titled Premium Pay and Training.

Meeting abroad - a matter of accommodation . An employee's claim for overtime compensation for travel overseas to be present at the opening of a conference with representatives of a foreign government was disallowed. Although the employee's agency indirectly scheduled the meeting through the USAID Mission, the Comptroller General ruled the lack of governmental control envisioned by law and regulation for travel on overtime to be deemed compensable was not present. (Gerald C. Holst, B-202694, January 4, 1982; and B-222700, dated October 17, 1986).

NOTE : The Lewis decision (see discussion above) precipitated a review of CG decisions with the result that government control of events was sufficient to validate all previous decisions except one: Gerald C. Holst, was overruled. In overruling the 1986 decision, the Comptroller General found the agency to lack control of the scheduling of the meeting to an appreciable degree. Further, the start time of the opening conference established the immediate official necessity for travel. Travel, was, therefore, compensable.

Failure to plan . An employee who travels outside his or her normal tour of duty to perform maintenance on equipment so that the equipment can perform necessary functions in accordance with operational deadlines is not performing compensable travel if the maintenance responds to gradual deterioration which could have been prevented if maintenance was scheduled on a timely basis (49 Comp. Gen. 209, 1969).

Two-day per diem rule . An employee may be required to travel on his or her own time if in order to allow the employee to travel during working hours, the agency would be required to pay two days or more per diem. However, the two-day per diem rule does not of itself support an entitlement to overtime compensation for the employee. To be compensable at the overtime rate, travel must respond to an event that could not be scheduled or controlled administratively and there must be an immediate official necessity for the travel to be performed outside the employee's regular duty hours (60 Comp. Gen. 681, 1981).

Return travel . When an employee performs compensable overtime by traveling to an event which could not be controlled or scheduled, he or she is automatically eligible for compensation for return travel to his or her duty station.

Disparity in hours of work means disparate overtime entitlement . Because FLSA provides two situations in which a NONEXEMPT employee, but not an EXEMPT employee, can be paid for travel on overtime hours, (specifically, during hours on nonworkdays which correspond to regular working hours and for one-day travel as a passenger to and from a temporary duty station), it is possible for a NONEXEMPT employee to be paid for travel when an EXEMPT employee in the same situation is ineligible for overtime pay.

Share this page

Acas working for everyone - Home

If someone travels for their job - Working time rules

  • Understanding the Working Time Regulations
  • The 48-hour weekly maximum
  • Being on call
  • Night workers

If someone travels for their job

  • Jobs with different rules
  • Agreeing a change – relevant agreements

In some cases, travel time to and from work counts as working time.

If an employee has a fixed place of work

If an employee has a fixed place of work (such as an office they go to every day), their regular travel time to and from work does not usually count as working time.

If an employer wants to count this travel time as working time, they can.

Travel time while at work will usually count as working time, for example when travelling:

  • from one client to the next
  • from an office to a meeting elsewhere

Find out about the maximum hours an employee can work in a week

If the employee has no fixed place of work

Some jobs have no fixed place of work. These are often jobs where the employee spends a lot of time visiting customers or clients. People who do this work are sometimes known as 'peripatetic workers'. 

These types of jobs can include:

  • care workers
  • plumbers and other tradespeople
  • teachers who work at different schools over the working day
  • travelling salespeople

Travel between home and work is likely to count as working time for peripatetic workers. This is because during this time, the person is classed as doing work for their employer – for example, the employer may change or add tasks.

Pay when travel time counts as working time

When travel time counts as working time, the pay an employee gets depends on the terms of the employment contract. 

When calculating pay the employer must follow the law on the National Minimum Wage. It includes different rules on how working time affects minimum wage calculations.

  • use the minimum wage calculator on GOV.UK
  • find out more about how minimum wage is calculated on GOV.UK

If you like, you can tell us more about what was useful on this page. We cannot reply – so do not include any personal details, for example your email address or phone number. If you have any questions about your individual circumstances, you can contact the Acas helpline .

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

travelling time for work

beta This part of GOV.UK is being rebuilt – find out what beta means

National Minimum Wage Manual

Nmwm08300 - working time: time work: travelling time.

Relevant legislation General Assignment work Travelling in connection with training Consideration of travelling time

Relevant legislation

The legislation that applies to this page is as follows:

National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015, regulations 19(1)(b), 20 & 34

For a worker performing time work, the time when a worker is travelling for the purpose of working (i.e. in connection with the employment) is treated as working time.

Such travelling will commonly fall within a worker’s normal working time when they would otherwise be working. However, even where the travelling varies the normal working time, the time spent travelling is still treated as working time.

For National Minimum Wage purposes, the travelling between a worker’s place of residence (including temporary residence) and the place of their work is not considered as travelling for the purposes of work. Any time spent on such “home to work” travelling is not considered as working time and not treated as time worked.

Top of page

Assignment work

Travelling for the purpose of working for National Minimum Wage purposes includes the time a worker spends travelling between assignments which need to be carried out at different places, to which the worker is obliged to travel.

Travelling in connection with training

Travelling for the purpose of working for National Minimum Wage purposes includes the time a worker spends travelling between a place of work and a place where training is being provided.

Consideration of travelling time

When considering travelling time for National Minimum Wage purposes it is necessary to identify the time the worker spends travelling for the purpose of working. A primary consideration will be whether such travelling is in connection with the employment. The mode of transport is not a consideration, so a NMW Officer will not accept a suggestion by an employer that a worker’s travelling time should be adjusted as if they took an alternate mode of transport or different route to what actually occurred. Neither is it persuasive for an employer to identify travelling times based on optimal travelling conditions, such as computer-calculated planned routes where such routes do not represent the actual circumstances of the travelling, such as distance, weather conditions or traffic delays.

It is appropriate to identify any time where the worker interrupts travelling in order take a break ( NMWM08310 ). Time when a break is taken during the course of a journey is not travelling time nor treated as working time. However, it should be noted that periods of waiting during travelling, such as queuing traffic, waiting for transport connections, etc. are likely to be treated as time worked and not automatically assumed to be time when a break is being taken.

Is this page useful?

  • Yes this page is useful
  • No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.

travelling time for work

1 in 5 Americans Plans to Take a Workcation in 2024. Here's Why You Should Plan a Non-Work-Related Getaway

Some people travel during the year on occasion. Others do it on a regular basis.

But travel can take on different forms. In some cases, it can mean flying to a destination on your employer's dime to attend meetings or conferences. In other situations, it can mean fleeing to an exotic island and doing nothing but relaxing.

Meanwhile, data from IPX1031 finds that 1 in 5 Americans are planning to take a workcation in 2024 -- meaning, a trip that combines vacation with remote work . And while that might seem like a good thing to try, there's a big drawback you should know about.

The problem with combining work and leisure travel

If you have a job that can be done remotely, a workcation might seem like an ideal setup for you. You can explore a new part of the country or globe without missing out on work time or pay. And if you're a salaried employee with limited vacation days, you can travel without having to put in for time off.

The problem, though, is that combining work and leisure travel could mean that you're not really getting a mental break from the grind. Sure, it may be nicer to do your job from a beach or cliffside resort than from your home office. But at the end of the day, you're still working. Your mind isn't taking time off or getting cleared. And so what may happen is that following your workcation, you don't come back feeling refreshed like you should.

Ways to pull off a non-working vacation

It pays to take at least one vacation during the year that doesn't have a work-related element to it. And if you're thinking there's no way you can pull that off, you may want to think again.

If you're self-employed and are afraid that taking a non-working vacation will negatively affect your income, plan ahead. Time your travels to your least busy season, and take on extra work ahead of time to make up for those planned days off.

As an example, let's say you're a freelance engineer who gets paid by the hour. If you normally work 40 hours a week, work 45 hours a week until you've earned enough extra money to make up for 40 hours of lost income.

Meanwhile, if you're a salaried employee, you may be entitled to paid time off -- so you might as well use it. And in either scenario, there are steps you can take to make your travels fit into your budget .

For one thing, try to bank your credit card cash back and rewards. If you have airline miles, you can look at redeeming those, too. Just make sure to do so well in advance, so the dates you want aren't blacked out or taken.

Additionally, aim to travel during off-peak times for lower costs. That could mean avoiding summertime or holiday weekends, when prices tend to be inflated.

You deserve a real break

You might think that getting to do your job from a cool new destination is a great thing. And it certainly is. So if you can afford to do that a few times a year and your employer has no problem with it, go for it.

But don't only take a workcation this year. Data from MyBioSource found that 41% of Americans experience post-time-off burnout. You may have a greater chance of avoiding that fate if you make a point to take at least one vacation a year that doesn't have you logging into a laptop during the course of your trip.

Alert: our top-rated cash back card now has 0% intro APR until 2025

This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a lengthy 0% intro APR period, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee! Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

1 in 5 Americans Plans to Take a Workcation in 2024. Here's Why You Should Plan a Non-Work-Related Getaway

Advertisement

Supported by

Could Trump Go to Prison? If He Does, the Secret Service Goes, Too

Officials have had preliminary discussions about how to protect the former president in the unlikely event that he is jailed for contempt during the trial.

  • Share full article

Several men and women wearing dark suits standing around an airport tarmac.

By William K. Rashbaum

The U.S. Secret Service is in the business of protecting the president, whether he’s inside the Oval Office or visiting a foreign war zone.

But protecting a former president in prison? The prospect is unprecedented. That would be the challenge if Donald J. Trump — whom the agency is required by law to protect around the clock — is convicted at his criminal trial in Manhattan and sentenced to serve time.

Even before the trial’s opening statements, the Secret Service was in some measure planning for the extraordinary possibility of a former president behind bars. Prosecutors had asked the judge in the case to remind Mr. Trump that attacks on witnesses and jurors could land him in jail even before a verdict is rendered.

(The judge, who held a hearing Tuesday morning to determine whether Mr. Trump should be held in contempt for violating a gag order, is far more likely to issue a warning or impose a fine before taking the extreme step of jailing the 77-year-old former president. It was not immediately clear when he would issue his ruling.)

Last week, as a result of the prosecution’s request, officials with federal, state and city agencies had an impromptu meeting about how to handle the situation, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

That behind-the-scenes conversation — involving officials from the Secret Service and other relevant law enforcement agencies — focused only on how to move and protect Mr. Trump if the judge were to order him briefly jailed for contempt in a courthouse holding cell, the people said.

The far more substantial challenge — how to safely incarcerate a former president if the jury convicts him and the judge sentences him to prison rather than home confinement or probation — has yet to be addressed directly, according to some of a dozen current and former city, state and federal officials interviewed for this article.

That’s at least in part because if Mr. Trump is ultimately convicted, a drawn-out and hard-fought series of appeals, possibly all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, is almost a certainty. That would most likely delay any sentence for months if not longer, said several of the people, who noted that a prison sentence was unlikely.

But the daunting challenge remains. And not just for Secret Service and prison officials, who would face the logistical nightmare of safely incarcerating Mr. Trump, who is also the presumptive Republican nominee for President.

“Obviously, it’s uncharted territory,” said Martin F. Horn, who has worked at the highest levels of New York’s and Pennsylvania’s state prison agencies and served as commissioner of New York City’s correction and probation departments. “Certainly no state prison system has had to deal with this before, and no federal prison has had to either.”

Steven Cheung, the communications director for Mr. Trump’s campaign, said the case against the former president was “so spurious and so weak” that other prosecutors had refused to bring it, and called it “an unprecedented partisan witch hunt.”

“That the Democrat fever dream of incarcerating the nominee of the Republican Party has reached this level exposes their Stalinist roots and displays their utter contempt for American democracy,” he said.

Protecting Mr. Trump in a prison environment would involve keeping him separate from other inmates, as well as screening his food and other personal items, officials said. If he were to be imprisoned, a detail of agents would work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rotating in and out of the facility, several officials said. While firearms are obviously strictly prohibited in prisons, the agents would nonetheless be armed.

Former corrections officials said there were several New York state prisons and city jails that have been closed or partly closed, leaving wings or large sections of their facilities empty and available. One of those buildings could serve to incarcerate the former president and accommodate his Secret Service protective detail

Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman for the Secret Service in Washington, declined in a statement to discuss specific “protective operations.” But he said that federal law requires Secret Service agents to protect former presidents, adding that they use state-of-the-art technology, intelligence and tactics to do so.

Thomas J. Mailey, a spokesman for New York State’s prison agency, said his department couldn’t speculate about how it would treat someone who has not yet been sentenced, but that it has a system “to assess and provide for individuals’ medical, mental health and security needs.” Frank Dwyer, a spokesman for the New York City jails agency, said only that “the department would find appropriate housing” for the former president.

The trial in Manhattan, one of four criminal cases pending against Mr. Trump and possibly the only one that will go to a jury before the election, centers on accusations he falsified records to cover up a sex scandal involving a porn star. The former president is charged with 34 counts of felony falsifying business records. If convicted, the judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, could sentence him to punishments ranging from probation to four years in state prison, though for a first-time offender of Mr. Trump’s age, such a term would be extreme.

If Mr. Trump is convicted, but elected president again, he could not pardon himself because the prosecution was brought by New York State.

Under normal circumstances, any sentence of one year or less, colloquially known as “city time,” would generally be served on New York City’s notorious Rikers Island, home to the Department of Correction’s seven jails. (That’s where Mr. Trump’s former chief financial officer, Allen H. Weisselberg, 76, is currently serving his second five-month sentence for crimes related to his work for his former boss.)

Any sentence of more than a year, known as state time, would generally be served in one of the 44 prisons run by New York State’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

The former president could also be sentenced to a term of probation, raising the bizarre possibility of the former commander in chief reporting regularly to a civil servant at the city’s Probation Department.

He would have to follow the probation officer’s instructions and answer questions about his work and personal life until the term of probation ended. He would also be barred from associating with disreputable people, and if he committed any additional crimes, he could be jailed immediately.

Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.

William K. Rashbaum is a Times reporter covering municipal and political corruption, the courts and broader law enforcement topics in New York. More about William K. Rashbaum

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

News and Analysis

At Donald Trump's hush-money trial, the former president demands praise and concedes no faults, robbing his lawyers of time-honored defense tactics .

Trump has spent decades spewing thousands and thousands of words, sometimes contradicting himself. That tendency is now working against him in this case .

The testimony of David Pecker , the first witness called in the trial and the former publisher of The National Enquirer, offered a window into the golden era of tabloids .

More on Trump’s Legal Troubles

Key Inquiries: Trump faces several investigations  at both the state and the federal levels, into matters related to his business and political careers.

Case Tracker:  Keep track of the developments in the criminal cases  involving the former president.

What if Trump Is Convicted?: Could he go to prison ? And will any of the proceedings hinder Trump’s presidential campaign? Here is what we know , and what we don’t know .

Trump on Trial Newsletter: Sign up here  to get the latest news and analysis  on the cases in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

Breaking News

Recommended, upstate ny da sandra doorley says she was stressed at work before cursing out cop over speeding ticket.

Jerry Seinfeld berated by anti-Israel protesters outside NYC event

Jerry Seinfeld berated by anti-Israel protesters outside NYC event

Matthew McConaughey on why he feels so connected to Marfa, Texas

Matthew McConaughey on why he feels so connected to Marfa, Texas

Avoid this food to reduce face puffiness, according to dietitians

Avoid this food to reduce face puffiness, according to dietitians

My travel hack saves so much time and stress — I never have to look at airport screens

My travel hack saves so much time and stress — I never have to look at airport screens

Missouri cop who ‘doesn’t miss leg day’ moves 1600-lb. bale of hay

Missouri cop who ‘doesn’t miss leg day’ moves 1600-lb. bale of hay

Pro-Israel rally lines up outside Columbia

Pro-Israel rally lines up outside Columbia

Dipping pizza in Guinness is a St. Patrick’s Day don’t

Dipping pizza in Guinness is a St. Patrick’s Day don’t

Joe Rogan blasts ‘The View’ over co-hosts feud with author Coleman Hughes: ‘Rabies-infested henhouse’

Joe Rogan blasts ‘The View’ over co-hosts feud with author Coleman Hughes: ‘Rabies-infested henhouse’

Out-of-control Omaha mom slaps, stomps on two women at a Mega Saver  

Out-of-control Omaha mom slaps, stomps on two women at a Mega Saver  

I’m a solo female traveler — I have to lie to strangers to stay safe

I’m a solo female traveler — I have to lie to strangers to stay safe

travelling time for work

Manor Lords

travelling time for work

Originally posted by LadyVodka : Do you even watch YouTube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzUr1at1xRQ&t=382s

travelling time for work

Originally posted by Covewolf : Point one, Does distance from food stall to House matter at all from what you've found? --- Almost seems like making an entirely separate area dedicated to supplying market stalls while spreading houses around to facilitate shorter travel times would be better?

travelling time for work

Originally posted by Unsakred : "you need either flax linen or wool which are grade 1 clothes" Just want to add that leather also counts as level 1 clothing.

travelling time for work

Originally posted by Fast : Not really , no. I find most youtubers just click bait titles and dont actually play enough

:lunar2019deadpanpig:

Originally posted by Covewolf : One thing I've noticed too, If there's an overabundance of workers assigned to Granaries and Storehouses, they'll start making extra market stalls that serve absolutely zero purpose other than the family member assigned standing around doing nothing. Almost like they're trying to account for a deficit, without actually seeking out the resources to do so. Safe to assume your tip about limiting the number of market spaces to goods actually in need by your houses supply demands will fix that for the most part. Very interesting.

travelling time for work

Originally posted by lodewijk NL} : welp point 1 is imediatly wrong. https://imgur.com/a/jrOYchN here is a beekeeper transporting some veggies from the market to her home. point 3 also wrong. i started with a market with 30 slots in my starting town. and one with 25 in my second region. both work fine. my 30 stall initial market is in the center of the screen. the houses to the center right were built last, and are now not covered. probably should have started out with a larger market place. https://imgur.com/a/gFLBqg7

travelling time for work

Report this post

Valve Logo

Planned outage: Files stored in our eDOCS platform may be temporarily unavailable today from noon to 1 p.m.

Skip to Content

Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

News releases

April 25, 2024

Latest news releases

Hwy 169 Chisholm to Mountain Iron construction meeting scheduled and work to start

DULUTH, Minn. –   On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 5 p.m., Minnesota Department of Transportation staff will be holding an information meeting about construction occurring on Highway 169 between Chisholm and Mountain Iron. The meeting will be held at MnDOT Virginia Headquarters building (101 North Hoover Road, Virginia, MN 55792). Work includes pavement resurfacing, bridge work, and other improvements.

Initial bridge repair work will start on April 29 on both bridges over Mineral Avenue/St. Louis County Road 102 in Mountain Iron. Motorists on Highway 169 can expect a right lane closure in each direction through May 14.

Beginning in mid-May, pavement work will begin and reduce the roadway to one lane in each direction. Reduced lane widths and work zone speed limits will be in effect.  Construction on Highway 169 will continue through September 2024.

A recording of information discussed will be available on the project website following the meeting. For maps, general project information, and the recorded meeting information, please visit the project website here: https://www.dot.state.mn.us/d1/projects/hwy169-chisholm-mtiron/index.html

MnDOT invites and encourages participation by all. If you need an ASL, a foreign language interpreter, or other reasonable accommodation, or need documents in an alternative format (such as braille or large print) for this email or event, please email your request to [email protected] or call 651-366-4720.

COMMENTS

  1. Everything You Should Know About Travel Time To Work

    The time an employee spends traveling during regular work hours is eligible for compensation. Time spent commuting to and from work, outside of work hours, is unpaid. If an employee spends time traveling between work locations during working hours, the IRS considers it hours worked, and the company must provide compensation.

  2. Travel Time to Work: Definition, Benefits and FAQs

    Travel time to work is any time you use on transportation for your job. This can include your commute to and from work and any travel you perform during your workday for your professional duties. Federal laws require employers to pay for some travel, but other types don't require compensation. When Congress passed the Portal-to-Portal Act in ...

  3. Travel Time

    Time spent traveling during normal work hours is considered compensable work time. Time spent in home-to-work travel by an employee in an employer-provided vehicle, or in activities performed by an employee that are incidental to the use of the vehicle for commuting, generally is not "hours worked" and, therefore, does not have to be paid. This provision applies only if the travel is within ...

  4. When Must I Pay Employees for Travel Time?

    In general, your business should pay employees for the time they spend traveling for work-related activities. You don't have to pay employees for travel that is incidental to the employee's duties and time spent commuting (traveling between home and work). Travel time can include both local trips and travel away from home.

  5. Paid Travel Time to Work: Guide with Types and Examples

    Travel time to work and back is also known as commuting. It's a typical part of the day for people employed outside their homes. The modes of travel, time taken and commute distance vary depending on where you live and where you work. Employers don't consider the time spent going to and from work as part of a standard work schedule, so don't ...

  6. What Is Travel Time to Work? (With Benefits and FAQs)

    Travel time to work is the time you spend on transportation for your job. This can include your commute to and from work and any travel you perform during your workday for your professional duties. As of October 2022, the Canada Labour Code part III states that most travel time isn't work-related, so employees won't receive payment for it. ...

  7. Average Travel Time to Work in the United States by Metro Area

    Commuting including means of transportation, time of departure, mean travel time to work, vehicles available, distance traveled, and expenses. Employment We measure the state of the nation's workforce, including employment and unemployment levels, weeks and hours worked, occupations, and commuting.

  8. Census Bureau Estimates Show Average One-Way Travel Time to Work Rises

    MARCH 18, 2021 — A new report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau shows the average one-way commute in the United States increased to a new high of 27.6 minutes in 2019. The Travel Time to Work in the United States: 2019 report summarizes trends in travel time among U.S. workers between 2006 and 2019 using single-year data from the ...

  9. How to Ease Back into Traveling for Work

    Use these strategies to transition back into work travel. First, evaluate the benefit. Think carefully about where you believe travel would add the greatest benefit versus working remotely. Second ...

  10. The Ultimate Guide to Traveling for Work

    One of the best parts of business travel is taking clients out on the town for dinner (and maybe a few drinks). This can be a key moment in cementing a working relationship or landing a new deal. It can also be a potential minefield if you haven't done your homework. "The first step is knowing your options," Dov said.

  11. Travel Time Under The FLSA

    Furthermore, as detailed in 29 CFR § 785.39 the employer must include travel time as hours worked is if the employee actually performs work while in transit. Employers must also count as hours worked time spent by employees traveling on non-workdays if the travel takes place during the employees' normal work hours.

  12. Why and When to Pay Employees For Travel Time

    Generally, employees should be compensated for all time spent traveling during regular business hours. This is also true for non-working days, as long as they are still on the business trip. However, if an employee is a passenger on a plane, train, or automobile, and the travel is during non-work hours, and the employee is not required to and ...

  13. Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

    The time spent in traveling to and returning from the other city is work time, except that the employer may deduct/not count that time the employee would normally spend commuting to the regular work site. Travel That is All in a Day's Work: Time spent by an employee in travel as part of their principal activity, such as travel from job site to ...

  14. DOL Explains When Employees Must Be Paid for Travel Time

    Travel time from home to office varies from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on where the employee lives. (2) Employee travel time from home directly to a customer location; and. (3) Employee travel time by plane on a Sunday from home to an out-of-state destination for a company training that begins at 8:00 a.m. on Monday.

  15. A guide to paid travel time to work

    Opportunities to receive paid travel time generally depend on your employer and the nature of your work, such as whether you receive an hourly wage or work on an all-inclusive contract basis. The legal details outlined below are accurate as of August 2022. The main laws relating to paid travel time are The Working Time Regulations of 1998 and a ...

  16. Travel Time

    Travel Time. A worker who travels from home to work and returns to his or her home at the end of the workday is engaged in ordinary home-to-work travel which is a normal incident of employment. Normal travel from home to work and return at the end of the workday is not work time. This is true whether the employee works at a fixed location or at ...

  17. Business Travel 101: Tips For Your First Time Traveling For Work

    Business travel insurance is a plan that protects employees who travel for work domestically or internationally. It usually covers occupational and non-occupational accidents and health cover while traveling on company business. Consult your travel policy or ask your employer if this will be available to you when you travel.

  18. Hours of Work for Travel

    Travel That is Hours of Work Under the FLSA. For FLSA-covered employees, time spent traveling is hours of work if-. an employee is required to travel as a passenger on an overnight assignment away from the official duty station during hours on nonworkdays that correspond to the employee's regular working hours. (See 5 CFR 551.422 (a).)

  19. Travel time as hours of work

    For the same reason, travel to and from training which is conducted by the government, under government contract or by a private institution solely for the benefit* of the government is not compensable since the government has it within its power to ensure that the start and end times of such training allow the employee to travel on work time ...

  20. Travel Time to Work in the United States: 2019

    The average one-way commute in the United States increased to a new high of 27.6 minutes in 2019. This report summarizes trends in travel time among U.S. workers between 2006 and 2019 using single-year data from the American Community Survey (ACS). The report then moves on to take a closer look at patterns in travel time along selected ...

  21. If someone travels for their job

    If an employer wants to count this travel time as working time, they can. Travel time while at work will usually count as working time, for example when travelling: from one client to the next; from an office to a meeting elsewhere; Find out about the maximum hours an employee can work in a week. If the employee has no fixed place of work

  22. 24 of the Best Jobs That Let You Travel (With Salary Info)

    18. Muralist. National average salary: $88,000 per year (artist) Job duties: Muralists create paintings or pictures of large public spaces, such as walls, ceilings or the sides of a pedestrian tunnel. They also work with clients to create murals inside of buildings and homes, from museums to a new baby's nursery.

  23. NMWM08300

    It is appropriate to identify any time where the worker interrupts travelling in order take a break ( NMWM08310 ). Time when a break is taken during the course of a journey is not travelling time ...

  24. Ways to pull off a non-working vacation

    Time your travels to your least busy season, and take on extra work ahead of time to make up for those planned days off. As an example, let's say you're a freelance engineer who gets paid by the hour.

  25. Lab Guidelines on Working During Personal International Travel

    P erforming work outside the United States must be reviewed and approved in advance by your supervisor and division director. Depending on the country and the travel duration, your Associate Lab Director and the Lab's Deputy Director for Research might also need to review and approve the work. International work introduces potential issues ...

  26. Could Trump Go to Prison? If He Does, the Secret Service Goes, Too

    If convicted, the judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, could sentence him to punishments ranging from probation to four years in state prison, though for a first-time offender of Mr. Trump's age ...

  27. Upstate NY DA Sandra Doorley says she was stressed at work before

    My travel hack saves so much time and stress — I never have to look at airport screens Missouri cop who 'doesn't miss leg day' moves 1600-lb. bale of hay Pro-Israel rally lines up outside ...

  28. Spent 2 hours working out how market stalls work. :: Manor Lords

    What did I learn. 1. Market stalls teleport goods to houses people dont collect them or anything. 2. To have them work properly, you need your granary and storehouse to be literally next door or across the street because they have to travel to put the goods in the stall. 3. you should never exceed the amount of plots you need at the time.

  29. Prince William and Catherine release unseen wedding photo on 13th

    The Prince returned to work earlier this month, after a three-week-long Easter holiday, when the couple spent quality time with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

  30. News releases

    Latest news releases. Hwy 169 Chisholm to Mountain Iron construction meeting scheduled and work to start . DULUTH, Minn. - On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 5 p.m., Minnesota Department of Transportation staff will be holding an information meeting about construction occurring on Highway 169 between Chisholm and Mountain Iron.The meeting will be held at MnDOT Virginia Headquarters building (101 ...