Travel Time Pay: When Are You Owed for Commuting?

Not all time spent traveling for work is compensable under the FLSA. The type of travel and when it occurs determines whether it counts as hours worked toward overtime.

Ordinary commuting is not paid time

Travel from home to your regular workplace and back is not compensable, even if you drive a long distance. This holds even if you travel to a different job site each day, as long as you start and end at home — with one exception: if your employer requires you to report to a central location first and then travel to a job site, the travel from the central location to the site is paid time.

Day travel to another city

If you travel away from home during your regular working hours — on the day of travel — that time is compensable. If you travel outside your regular hours (e.g., on a Saturday when you do not normally work, or late at night), only the portion that falls within your regular hours must be paid.

Overnight travel

For overnight trips, compensable time includes travel that takes place during your regular working hours, on any day of the week including weekends. Time spent sleeping or in personal activities (dining, recreation) is not counted. Time spent driving or on duty during off-hours is generally not compensable unless your employer's policy says otherwise.

Emergency call-outs

If you are called back to work after hours, the travel time is compensable if you are traveling a substantial distance or the call-back is unforeseeable and outside regular hours. Travel from home to the worksite in a company-provided vehicle is compensable if it is part of an irregular, out-of-the-ordinary commute.