When is travel on an overnight trip considered work time that must be compensated?
A. On overnight trips, all the time an employee spends traveling during normal work hours must be compensated — even on weekends. An employer is not legally obligated to compensate for travel time that falls outside of the employee´s regular work hours, except when the employee is required to drive. Example: Chet´s regular work schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. His employer requires him to attend a two-day business conference in Boise, Idaho. Chet travels by bus on Wednesday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The employer must pay for these six hours of travel time, since they cut across Chet´s normal work hours. Chet returns home by bus on Saturday, traveling from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The employer must pay for the three hours between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m., the travel time which cuts across Chet´s normal work hours. This is required even though Chet does not normally work on Saturdays. Example: Jane´s regular work schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through F
