That replying to work emails on the train IS working?

[managedmis]

Jury seems to be out on this one at work so thought I'd ask on her.

I commute 2 hours per day to get to work, an hour there and back. I have my work email on my phone and reply /send emails when I'm on the train. Note that my role is admin based, so always loads of emails to respond to etc.

I consider that this is work.

What do you think?

Fuck that.

I would rather clean toilets and be free, honestly.

I don’t understand what you want!!

If you can't cover your workload without answering emails during your commute, I think you should talk to your manager about being overloaded.

If you are answering work emails just for something to do during the commute, I don't think you can claim it is "work".

It's not work time. You can choose to answer emails during your commute or you can choose not too, but you can't count time spent replying to emails while travelling into work as part of your shift.

If you are meant to do 7 hours a day and you are doing 5 plus answering emails on your commute, then you are not fulfilling your contracted hours.

(At least, according to every work contract I've ever signed, and IMO)

YANBU - you are working.

BUT - are you trying to say that your commute should be included in your working hours? I don't think that is reasonable. It would be difficult to see how you could work as effectively or efficiently on the train as in your office. I know I do sometimes answer work emails on the run, but only short ones, easy to manage.

So if you're trying to reduce your hours in the office, YABU.

When I commute I’m paid as soon as I leave the front door. My work base is home but with quite a bit of travel. I am paid travel time and costs within my contract so, yes, emails when travelling are very much work.

It is working but also on your own time. I wouldn't expect to be paid for checking emails while commuting. If I was travelling for work during the working day I would consider it work time wether I checked emails or not.

Of course it's work, that's not in dispute

If your employer REQUIRES it and demands you answer emails at 7am then I think they should pay you for it

If they're not paying you and don't demand it then it's your choice whether to do it or not

If you are expected to be available online when you are not actually in the office, it doesn't matter whether you are on the train, eating your dinner or in the bath. It is still work.

There are so many variables that it's impossible to say.
It depends on the nature of your work, how you're paid/if your company bills clients for your time, what your commute is like (quiet train where you can work on your laptop at a table, or crowded commuter train where you're standing up faffing with emails on your phone) and whether you're working efficiently, or answering the odd email between reading the metro and messaging your spouse.

It still depends on what point you're making.

You are working, but I wouldn't count it as part of the working day (so wouldn't count it in your time sheets, hours for the week, used as justification for leaving early or counting it as compressed hours for like off in lieu).

Just like someone may take a call on their hands free driving down the motorway home, but they're not at work and they'd be out of order to start claiming "I do calls on my drive home so I should be paid more/ have shorter days etc"

It sounds to me like you might be trying to argue your commuting time comes out of your working day/should be paid rather than counted as commute.

I’m on the fence. Are you really working in the same way you would at work? You sent this optional? Is that flexibility they’ve agreed as you can’t do the hours they want? I think this totally depends on the individual job and agreements. I wouldn’t be happy with one of my team saying their commute was work time but nor would I require them to work on their commute. I would either employ someone who can do the hours I needed or I’d agree working from home.

Anyway, off to pull the splinters out of my bum!

You sent = is this

It's doing work but you're not at work so shouldn't count it as working per se . A commute can't be classed as time out of your 9-5 (?) job.

I do this but I assume this is optional, so doesn't count as part of the working day.

I mean surely work is work? To me, it's work.

You are working, but it is not as productive as working in the office.

In many cases I think that would be argued. A lot of staff are much more productive away from the distractions of the office environment.

OP can you clarify what this is actually determining and in what context you need it clarified.

I would not be giving a 15mins time allocation for one email, unless it was a specific project and in depth content.

Bourbon :

I'm just determining if it's counted as work.

I have to work 40 hours per week : I consider that 5 hours of these take place on the train.

I get all my tasks done - some people think your arse needs to be on a seat in the office, some people think your arse on the train going to work is fine.

I'm of the opinion if that work gets done then that's all that counts.

My colleague did this. Had a two hour commute each way and would count three of those four hours as part of her working day. So would come in for around 11.00 and leave around 16.00. Would work on the train. No problem.

But then all of us worked when and where we wanted to (obviously taking into account any meetings, etc).

It was a great job.

I would say if you are counting 5 hours per week on the train, that amounts to half an hour each way each day. I could certainly see that being achieved productively,

I have to work 40 hours per week : I consider that 5 hours of these take place on the train.

I absolutely disagree, and it would be a very slippery slope for any company who would start counting commuting time as "work time".

From your update: no it shouldn't be counted as work.