Nonexempt employee travel

Nonexempt employees as classified by the Fair Labor Standards Act are eligible for compensation for travel time. Compensation depends on the kind of travel and whether it takes place within or outside the employee’s standard work hours.

Travel Time Defined:

Air Travel

For air travel, travel time begins when the employee arrives at the departure airport and ends when he or she reaches the destination.  The destination is either the hotel or the work site.  When the employee returns home, the destination is the airport of final arrival.

Vehicular Travel

For vehicular travel, travel time begins when the employee leaves the office or home and arrives at the destination. The destination is either the hotel or the work site. 

Calculating and Reporting Travel Time

Employees are responsible for accurately tracking, calculating and reporting travel time in accordance with their unit’s time recording practices.

When an employee travels between two or more time zones, the time zone associated with the point of departure is used to determine whether the travel falls within standard work hours.

Compensated and factored into overtime

Travel time:

  • that takes place during standard work hours on any day of the week.
  • that requires an employee to be away from home overnight during the employee’s standard workdays and nonworking days.
  • spent driving an automobile during the employee’s standard workdays as well as nonworking days.
  • as a passenger outside of standard work hours if the employee is required to perform work while traveling
  • between an employee’s residence and an alternative airport if no flights are available to and from the airport nearest the employee’s residence.

Neither compensated nor factored into overtime

Travel time:

  • that occurs outside of the employee’s standard work hours as a passenger on a plane, train, boat, bus or automobile when an employee is not required to work while traveling.
  • that exceeds the estimated time of an authorized schedule, itinerary and mode of transportation if the employee chooses alternatives.
  • between home and work or between the hotel and work site.
  • taken for meals while traveling.