8 replies to this topic

[One step at a time]

I've recently started to work away from home mostly London. My company have stated that I'm only to book the hours I'm on site in the morning until I leave at the end of the day.
Before I started with the firm they paid travel time to and from the hotel regardless of how long it took, most lads booked any time over half on hour.
I've read of a "eu" court case where the company has to pay travel to and from a none fixed office, or the situation I'm in. Now to pick your brains.
What is the law within the uk of being paid travel time to and from a hotel to work whilst working away from home??

[sonikk4]

Not so much the law but what has your company got in writing with regards to this?? They must have a company policy which dictates very clearly what you can and cannot claim for.

 

As a heads up with my company if i am on a course at a place 22 miles or more past where i work for a period of over two weeks i can get Hotac. So hotel plus bed and breakfast and evening meal. I can also claim for one return journey at 45 pence per mile, so for example i work at Gatwick, the course is at Heathrow so the return journey between Gatwick and Heathrow is what i am allowed to claim for. If the course is further afield say Derby for a week only then we get full accommodation and food plus mileage if we use our own vehicle. 

 

If i have to go abroad for AOG Aircraft work then i get full food and accommodation plus taxi fares back and fwd from the relevant airport and hotel. This is for as long as it takes. Now this is clearly laid out in the Company Policy book. 

 

So see what the company policy is on this, not what a mate says etc but physically read it.

[New game mini]

I work in a field based sales role with no fixed 'place of work'. There was a big fuss made recently in the media about a new EU legislation saying that people who work with no fixed place of employment SHOULD get payed from their front door (hotel in your case) unfortunately (after some digging) I found that in England companies can opt out of this and just pay you from when u arrive at your first destination until you leave your last place of work. Bit rubbish really as what company is realistically going to opt in and pay there staff more without any gains. It would have added around 40 hrs additional per month to my salary as some of my start and finish locations are a good couple of hours away so I was pretty peeved when I found out 😒
An advice line that one of my collegues spoke to did say that if you kept a reliable record of ur travel time (particularly if ur vehicle has a tracker) that you could appeal to your company and build a case as to why you should be paid for travel time...depends if it's worth it though.

Edited by New game mini, 08 November 2015 - 10:20 AM.

[humph]

Just to make your post a bit clearer in my head, this is my understanding of what you are saying.

 

You live in Staffs (from your profile)

You work in London on a site, this is not a fixed office, and a temporary location.

You live in a hotel whilst working in London.

You want to know if you can claim travel from the hotel to the site.

 

Is that correct?

 

I'm no expert on the law and working away from home at the moment, it's been 5 years since I did it last, but I'm not sure there is any laws that dictate a company should do what you're asking. I'd say that the poster above that points to your company's written procedures on travel to work, & furthermore your written employment contract, is on the right tracks. I'd suggest the only interest the government will have in the arrangements is that the correct amount of tax is paid on any payments. If the company doesn't pay, then there may be some tax breaks to be had for certain things.

 

As someone who does work at many temporary sites/offices can I ask some more questions, so I can maybe help on some issues.

 

How do you travel to London from Staffs? Own car, company van?

Do you get paid an salary payment for this?

Do you get a mileage payment for this?

How is the hotel paid for? Is there a weekly/monthly subsistance payment or is the cost claimed back on expenses?

Do they cover meals whilst away via expenses?

[Turbo Nick]

I work all over the country, the way our company does the travel is the first 30 mins of your journey to site is unpaid and the first 30 mins home/to hotel is unpaid. 

If I'm working less than 30 mins from home or the hotel I'm staying at then they don't deduct anything.

 

I'm salaried for an 8 hour day but have to book 9.5hrs (7am-4:30pm)( half hour each way travel and half hour break). Anything I work over those 9.5 hours in the week is overtime which is paid at 1.5x time on site and 1x time while travelling.

 

Gets confusing sometimes, When I started there we never used to book hours, some days I'd do 12, some days 6 and it kind of balanced itself. Now our vans are tracked and time sheets are more in depth I'm better off financially as I get paid overtime but I rarely get an early finish anymore.

[One step at a time]

Hi humph, yes you are correct in what I'm asking and to answer your questions.
I get paid from the time I leave the office address on a Monday am until I leave the site pm, at the same rate as pay. On the Friday its from time on site am until return to office address pm. I travel in the company van and the hotels are paid for with a small food allowance per day.
So as I read it and with a lot of searching, there not as the law stands in a position to have to pay me anything for my travel time.

[humph]

I agree, I'm not aware of a law, it'll be down to your contract of employment. From what you have said in your answers above there isn't much, as an employee, you can claim back tax wise either if they provide the van, fuel and subsistance. 

 

I wish there was a law on something, maybe then I'd get paid (salary and/or mileage) for the 3 hours & 80 miles I do everyday in the car to work.

Edited by humph, 07 November 2015 - 10:55 PM.

[Big Sam]

I work in a set place but can move about, if i move about i get my travelling time paid plus 45p a mile and if far enough i'll get a hotel and breakfast too. Needless to say i try and do that often.

[mini danny]

I work as a surveyor my fixed office is 10 mile from me but work all over the country. The second I arrive at my office I am paid until the very second I leave the office. If I was only paid for the time I was onsite I would have told them to stick the job where the sun doesn't shine. As I can easily spend 6 hours in travel time a day getting to site and back.