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hardworking
USA
506 Posts |
 Posted - 07/29/2011 : 19:45:19
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How does your company account for your time when you are working out of town?
Time starts when you get to the job and stops when you leave?
Time starts when you leave the hotel and stops when you get back to the hotel?
As a follow up, what do you think is fair and why?
Thanks to all that participate.
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Kperlow
USA
2711 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2011 : 21:04:37
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| I charge from the time I leave hotel until I get back unless I stop to eat dinner then I allow a fair time to return to the motel. |
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Glenn E. Farmer
USA
97 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2011 : 21:38:44
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| Just like in town work. Time starts when you get to work and time starts when you leave work. Why should it be any different? |
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hardworking
USA
506 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2011 : 03:45:14
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quote:
Originally posted by Glenn E. Farmer
Just like in town work. Time starts when you get to work and time starts when you leave work. Why should it be any different?
I'm middle management and stuck between upper management and the hourly workers. Upper management says travel from the hotel to the job site is like going from home to the shop, it's on the employees time. The hourly worker is saying travel from the hotel is like going from the shop to the job and it's on company time.
I see it as both sides have a point. I'm curious as to what the general practices are. I'm going to try call the state labor board next week to discuss it with them.
The biggest problem is there is no written policy. I'm not going to enforce a verbal policy just yet. I need to make up my mind which side of this argument I will support. |
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Glenn E. Farmer
USA
97 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2011 : 10:43:33
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| I am in the same position and do understand the problem. Our HR Director explained it to us as having to do with what is "work" and what is "not work". You have to determine if the travel is "work" or not. I do not know about all states and it is probably going to vary some state to state. This best solution is going to be the one that keeps the company compliant with Labor Law, keeps the employees happy, productive and content and keeps the company profitable. |
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ZMiller
USA
1317 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 21:10:36
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We pay 1/2 of total travel time to, from and during the project. If the out of town project is scheduled for three days and the job is finished in two we split the per diem and estimated expense for the third day or total scheduled days saved 50 / 50. Employees that find reason to complain are given the option of driving their personal vehicle to and from work OOT or not for thirty days.
We have only had only two exceptions over the years and that was for a tech that stayed 70 miles from the job site because he was getting a free breakfast at the hotel and a tech that was laying bricks 80 miles from the project site in Pensacola, Florida. |
There are two theories to arguing with a woman:...neither work!
“It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something really stupid to say and then don't say it.”
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hardworking
USA
506 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 08:19:34
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I spoke with the NC labor board yesterday and this is what I found out.
Driving from the shop to the OOT (out of town) job is paid. That time only needs to be paid at minimum wage, but it is paid time. Same for driving back from the OOT job.
Driving from the hotel to the job is considered to be driving from home to work, not paid. |
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highongas
USA
154 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 14:02:56
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You have guys that are willing to do hard labor in adverse weather conditions. Also, they leave their families for extended time.
Is it worth nit picking their travel time to and from the hotel that is usually close to the job site anyway? There are a lot of legal things to do by the labor laws but is it worth doing?
Keep the installers happy. They could do a lot of damage to a company that may not be found until long after they have quit.
Why would they quit you ask?
By the way, I am on the service side. Just my 2 cents on how to treat people. |
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highongas
USA
154 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 14:05:19
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| And another thought. If traveling to the job site is not work, then I guess that if the crew is in a wreck, workmen's comp won't cover them. |
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hardworking
USA
506 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 14:10:36
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quote:
Originally posted by highongas
You have guys that are willing to do hard labor in adverse weather conditions. Also, they leave their families for extended time.
Is it worth nit picking their travel time to and from the hotel that is usually close to the job site anyway? There are a lot of legal things to do by the labor laws but is it worth doing?
Keep the installers happy. They could do a lot of damage to a company that may not be found until long after they have quit.
Why would they quit you ask?
By the way, I am on the service side. Just my 2 cents on how to treat people.
I agree with you. I don't set policy, just have to enforce it.
The problem arises when our competition works on a different policy.
So when an employee leaves the job for 1.5 hours for lunch and turns in a .5 hour lunch break, do you just ignore it? |
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highongas
USA
154 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 14:14:44
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I don't think they should be paid for driving to and from lunch.
Just to the job in the morning and back to the hotel at night. |
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hardworking
USA
506 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 14:15:26
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quote:
Originally posted by highongas
And another thought. If traveling to the job site is not work, then I guess that if the crew is in a wreck, workmen's comp won't cover them.
I'm pretty sure workers comp won't cover them for that no matter what. It would fall under the auto policy.
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hardworking
USA
506 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 14:17:46
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quote:
Originally posted by highongas
You have guys that are willing to do hard labor in adverse weather conditions. Also, they leave their families for extended time.
Keep the installers happy.
Now my sarcasm.
Maybe we should just pay them for sleeping out of town too? How about we pay them for driving the company truck from home to the shop and back to home again. Maybe we should allow them to turn in time for thinking about the job as they are falling asleep at home. |
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ZMiller
USA
1317 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 14:44:46
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| I have had tech's bill 8 hours with overlaped travel and only work three. They reason they are entitled to 8 hours pay and travel time home. They ended up with another 30,000 in taxable income at the end of the year for driving a company truck home every night. |
There are two theories to arguing with a woman:...neither work!
“It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something really stupid to say and then don't say it.”
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hardworking
USA
506 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 14:59:01
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quote:
Originally posted by ZMiller
I have had tech's bill 8 hours with overlaped travel and only work three. They reason they are entitled to 8 hours pay and travel time home. They ended up with another 30,000 in taxable income at the end of the year for driving a company truck home every night.
We are not talking about techs here, and I'm pretty sure the company does not add income to the driver of the vehicle that takes it home. |
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Glenn E. Farmer
USA
97 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2011 : 17:28:14
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| Interesting. If they are not paid to drive to and from work when in town, why should they be paid for that when out of town? Especially when, most of the time, the out of town hotel is closer to "work" than the distance between their house an in town work? |
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