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Original poster

Travelling during working day

34 replies

Dutchhouse14 · 06/08/2025 13:01

I usually work from home but we have a small office (that isn't big enough to house, all employees) that is my official working location.
Once a week I travel to another site( not my official working location) in the middle of my working day. Ie start work at home, go to this other location to compete a task that can only be done there, then drive back home and continue working.
Manager has just picked up on me using working time to travel to and from this location. She has asked me to log as finishing work on my spreadsheet when I leave home, then log time of arrival time at other location as restarting work then do the same back again.
I challenged this as
A) it's in middle of my working day and it's not a location I can work all day from
And
B) it's not my official working location so not a normal commute

HR policy is wooly and she's going to check with them but AIBU to challenge her on it?

OP posts:
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Original poster
Dutchhouse14 · 06/08/2025 23:51

To answer questions the new, as yet unopened, office will be about 30mins away and so is this other location. So it's a fair point that if I was to drive there and back it wouldnt take anymore time.
However if I went into the office I would be able to book a desk and work there all day.
The other location has no desk I can work at, I need to book the meeting room, which has limited availability, to access the equipment I need for the task.
Sometimes I'm able to go there first thing, in which case I don't claim travel as I haven't started work but it's not always possible.
Tbh it's a really disruptive going there but I thought if at least I was travelling in work time it wouldn't be too bad. I don't claim any mileage as its similar distance. My car insurance includes commuting so assume that's OK.
I'm considering putting in a flexible working request to formalise what I actually do-work from home 95% of the time.
Employers sold the old large office with enough space for all staff to come in at same time (everyone had a permanent desk) and have bought a small office where only about 15% of employees can come in at the same time. This office hasn't been opened yet and for over 5 years we have all been working from home but contract now states that the new offices is our "usual" place of work which isn't accurate our "usual" place of work is home.
They've saved loads of money on office space/made a profit but still put the too small office as our usual working location on our contract even though they expect us to WFH the vast majority of the time.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 06/08/2025 21:56

Car insurance always used to include commuting to a single place of work but not all do now. My parents recently found out they were not covered & I had to tick an extra box when I renewed mine.

that is separate to business insurance which you need if you use your car to travel between clients/workplaces.

Comefromaway · 06/08/2025 21:52

43percentburnt · 06/08/2025 16:39

@Comefromaway

You mention peripatetic teachers. Do you know if travel between sites (zero hour contract with three years service) should be paid? Or only teaching time.

So first site 30 mins away, 2 hours teaching,
second site 20 mins away 1.5 hours teaching,
third site 15 mins away 45mins teaching
then home 25 mins

Is that 4.25 hours paid work?

Not just teachers. (Though my husband was a music peri). The law refers to people like plumbers & care workers. In the case of care workers the travel took them below National minimum wage & a case was brought. There is currently a case going to appeal about travel took them first client of the day.

Overthebow · 06/08/2025 20:33

Dutchhouse14 · 06/08/2025 20:14

My employer closed their offices a few years ago and has been in the slow process of renovating a new one, still not open. When it does it has about 50 desks and there are 300 employees so the presumption is to WFH which is what I've been doing for over 5 years.
The site I travel to is owned by my company but it's not the usual place of work stipulated on my contract.
I can't work there all day, I need to book a meeting room and access to equipment that is stored there, complete the task then I go back home and continue working.

How long does it take to commute to your base office, and how long to the other office? My company policy is it’s work time for everything above your base office commute, yours may be similar. So if it takes you 1 hour to commute to base office but 1.5 hours to commute to the other office you’d get 30 mins each way covered in work time to the other office.

KrisAkabusi · 06/08/2025 20:31

CarpetKnees · 06/08/2025 20:28

'Work' don't need to pay for business insurance - the employee ticks that box when they renew their insurance each year.

They may not need to, but they should. If we need to use our own transport for work, they pay the additional cost for business insurance.

CarpetKnees · 06/08/2025 20:28

'Work' don't need to pay for business insurance - the employee ticks that box when they renew their insurance each year.

KrisAkabusi · 06/08/2025 20:19

You haven't answered how far away it is from your home. Do you have to go there in the middle of the working day or could you start there at nine, do whatever you need and then go home?

As it stands though, it does sound like it's not commuting, so you are not insured to do the trip. You need work to pay for business class insurance.

Original poster
Dutchhouse14 · 06/08/2025 20:14

My employer closed their offices a few years ago and has been in the slow process of renovating a new one, still not open. When it does it has about 50 desks and there are 300 employees so the presumption is to WFH which is what I've been doing for over 5 years.
The site I travel to is owned by my company but it's not the usual place of work stipulated on my contract.
I can't work there all day, I need to book a meeting room and access to equipment that is stored there, complete the task then I go back home and continue working.

OP posts:
FrippEnos · 06/08/2025 19:38

Enrichetta · 06/08/2025 17:35

Is your working from home a privilege that could be revoked, or is it your employer’s preference?

If the former, think carefully about rocking the boat…

From what the OP posted, her specified place of work is not where she drives to, so even if they did revoked WFH they would need to rewrite her contract and she would still need extra insurance as her place of work is not where she is driving too.

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 06/08/2025 18:40

KrisAkabusi · 06/08/2025 18:14

No. I've just checked a lot of companies online and they all say that their basic domestic policy covers commuting to and from work. That includes AXA, the AA (and Zurich, just so you dont think I stopped at A!) etc. As long as you are not being paid to be in your car, you are covered. There may be exceptions, but they are rare.

Show quote history

This reply is genuinely for info not an 'I'm right' reply.

In my experience comparison websites are flawed and the only wording to go by is on the insurers policy.

The screenshot below is from the AA quote generator and clearly defines use
It explicitly says that Domestic does not include travel to work

Travelling during working day
CarpetKnees · 06/08/2025 18:27

We can't claim for the first or last journey of the day, unless it is further than it would be if we were going in to the office.

So, similarly to you, my 'usual' workplace is my spare bedroom, but, sometimes I go on a visit.
If that visit is further away than my office I can claim the difference but if it is the same, or closer, I have no claim.
If I did some work at home and then went to place A then place B, I can count the time (and mileage) between A and B, but not the time (nor miles) from home to A or from B to home.

KrisAkabusi · 06/08/2025 18:14

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 06/08/2025 17:20

This is incorrect, commute does not come under domestic as driving in rush hours increase the risk of accident.

Commute usually states a single place of work so does not cover site travel or off site courses.

Show quote history

No. I've just checked a lot of companies online and they all say that their basic domestic policy covers commuting to and from work. That includes AXA, the AA (and Zurich, just so you dont think I stopped at A!) etc. As long as you are not being paid to be in your car, you are covered. There may be exceptions, but they are rare.

ilovelamp82 · 06/08/2025 17:48

Just say that you will be unable to do that task anymore then. And when they tell you that it is essential for your job, then tell them that you need to be paid for it, as you are working.

BlueMum16 · 06/08/2025 17:37

It's clearly a work journey. You will need business insurance and should be claiming milage for the trip.

Enrichetta · 06/08/2025 17:35

Is your working from home a privilege that could be revoked, or is it your employer’s preference?

If the former, think carefully about rocking the boat…

LBOCS2 · 06/08/2025 17:31

I work in an industry where we do travel between sites a lot. Basically the rule of thumb is that if you’re spending the day there or starting your day on site, you’re expected to get yourself there in the way you’d usually commute (within reason) and be there for your regular start time. If you’re travelling around from site to site during the day because of the requirements of your job then the travel time counts at work time, and you should expect to be there until the end of your working day, with your commute home being outside working hours (ie not leave to time your travel home so you arrive on your doorstep at 5.30) - again, within reason, providing you’re not visiting somewhere hours and hours away from your normal place of work.

Whereisthesun99 · 06/08/2025 17:30

I travel as part of my job, and the journey time is always included in my working hours, I also have to have business insurance for my car. If I travel to a site that is not my main office or go to a clients site I also claim Mileage.
i would expect your travel time to be included in your working hours hours unless they have changed contracts and this office building is also being classed as one of your main offices if you can only do the task there and it’s a task you do weekly as part of of your role

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 06/08/2025 17:20

KrisAkabusi · 06/08/2025 16:33

In most policies nowadays, Domestic does normally include travel to and from work. It doesnt include travel FOR work.

Show quote history

This is incorrect, commute does not come under domestic as driving in rush hours increase the risk of accident.

Commute usually states a single place of work so does not cover site travel or off site courses.

ParmaVioletTea · 06/08/2025 16:47

YANBU. Your manager might want to think about your points if you put them objectively and as you outline above.

43percentburnt · 06/08/2025 16:39

@Comefromaway

You mention peripatetic teachers. Do you know if travel between sites (zero hour contract with three years service) should be paid? Or only teaching time.

So first site 30 mins away, 2 hours teaching,
second site 20 mins away 1.5 hours teaching,
third site 15 mins away 45mins teaching
then home 25 mins

Is that 4.25 hours paid work?

KrisAkabusi · 06/08/2025 16:33

Shatteredallthetimelately · 06/08/2025 15:06

Oddly enough this was my first thought.

My insurance is for social, domestic and pleasure only.
So I couldn't use it to commute to or for work purpose without the addition of commuting or business insurance added.

Show quote history

In most policies nowadays, Domestic does normally include travel to and from work. It doesnt include travel FOR work.

Zempy · 06/08/2025 15:24

YANBU

I would claim mileage and full time back for this, even if it wasn’t in the middle of the day.

Shatteredallthetimelately · 06/08/2025 15:06

FrippEnos · 06/08/2025 14:47

Are you insured to travel to this site?

Oddly enough this was my first thought.

My insurance is for social, domestic and pleasure only.
So I couldn't use it to commute to or for work purpose without the addition of commuting or business insurance added.

MinistryofMom · 06/08/2025 14:59

Mrsttcno1 · 06/08/2025 13:07

I think it will end up coming down to what the time difference is between your normal place of work & this office.

If commuting to your usual office takes say 10 mins, and commuting to this other place takes 30 mins, then you should get 20 mins of it as working time. 30 - the 10 you would spend on your typical office commute. If they both take say 30 mins to get to though then I’d be surprised if this is working time.

This is also what my employers policy is.
Deduct the travel time to your assigned office from the second office commute and claim the difference.

If it's essential that you go there and essential that its part way through the day they need to suck it up that it's a work activity, although it doesn't sounds great in terms of efficiency!

ThirdStorm · 06/08/2025 14:49

Honestly I'd find my team doing this disruptive. Unless there is no space for you that day then surely it would be sensible to spend a whole day in the office?