To start counting my commuting time into my weekly hours at work?

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Hear me out before you vote I know on paper it's probably YABU but I have my reasons.

My department has been 100% home based since 20 March 2020 due to covid. As of April this year, my employer has formally introduced a "work when, where and how you like" policy. Basically, as long as you do your work, great. Directors are leaving it to Department Managers to work out how that looks/works for their individual teams.

My work and that of everyone on my team, can and is being done 100% remotely. Any face to face / office based working is done on a want rather than need basis.

I currently split my 37.5 hours as:- Mon-Fri I work 8.15-2.45, then I do the school run. I then have 5 hours still to do, and I do these split across Mon-Fri any days/times after the school run that works for me and my family. I take into account all meetings and have never declined one due to the way I work my hours. My manager is completely happy with how I work.

If and when I choose to go into the office I count my commute within that. So I still work on the hours above. Obviously if anything pressing is needed, I dont think "well I have done my 37.5 so I'm not doing any more" I just work til the task is done.

Management are now introducing a fortnightly face to face meeting (still tbc due to outbreaks).

AIBU to keep counting my commuting time as work? Especially on days where I am asked to travel into the office at a random time (say 11am) for 1.5hrs?

YABU

Commuting time is not work time.

Eh?

Your work needs to clarify whether travel time counts as work time or not. Normally travel to your normal workplace doesn't count as work time. So, unless you've explicitly agree that travel time counts as working time (or you're genuinely working on the train, for example), I think you're BU.

I count my commute as work hours but that's because I actively work as I travel. I get on the train and work for an hour and a half, and do the same coming home. Do you actively work on your commute? If not I don't think you can count it.

My last 9-5 was like this - home-based except for meetings or something that really requires you to be in the office.

I didn't count my commute, though. That'd have been considered utterly taking the piss. They were okay with me choosing non-peak time travel if I could, and I often checked my emails and things on the train, but it's not work time...

It's not and never has been work time, and views like that will colour RTO policy, the same as my commute is £xxxx. You can't rescind what you agreed to unless your firm change your contract.

I see your point. But I think yabu. I too would think ‘hang on’ for a moment.

No of course commuting isn't work.

I'm shocked you're getting away with this.

Travel to a place of work is not part of your work. Not in any job I can think of. Even where work involves visiting other companies or the public the actual home to office bit is not work.

If you wrrifull time in the office, you couldn't count commuting time as your working hours. I can't see how this is different. You shouldn't be counting it now, never mind in the future.

You can’t count travel time as work hours.

@SoupDragon

Commuting time is not work time.

if one works in the normal way - the travel time is not counted. When I worked as a contractor - I could spend 2 hours per day going in to work but those were not chargeable. If others in your organisaton are office based - they cannot count travel hours so why should you. YABU

I don't think you can just unilaterally make this decision - but I am tempted to say why not just do it anyway.

Presumably you don't have to formally account for time?

On occasions when I have had particularly stressful jobs I've taken unauthorised breaks - never got asked about what I was doing.

Your work place needs a policy on this

Yabu. What is your contracted place of work?

You also seem to be working for 6.5 hours every day, without a break. Is this correct?

If you're actually doing work while travelling I would say that's fine. If you're not, then no, of course you can't say you're working when you're not!

I do not get paid to travel to and from work.

I can't see what your reasoning is at all?

I’ve just been on a all staff zoom where loads of wfh since March 2020 staff are similarly moaning in a similar fashion. It is deeply irritating and actually disrespectful to all the staff, of which I am one, that has been coming into work every single day.

If they are asking you to attend an hours meeting in the middle of the day the travel should be work time.

Just the same as if your were travelling between your office and a clients office, or an area manager travelling between different shops.

@Lockdownbear

If they are asking you to attend an hours meeting in the middle of the day the travel should be work time.

Just the same as if your were travelling between your office and a clients office, or an area manager travelling between different shops.

Why? It takes the same amount of time to travel there regardless of what time of day you are doing it. OP could go in for the whole day (assuming allowed) if it made it easier.

Also of your permanent place of work is home, you may be able to claim travel expenses or if your company don't pay it you can look at claiming tax back, only worthwhile if you are doing that a lot.

@UserAtRandom

Your work needs to clarify whether travel time counts as work time or not. Normally travel to your normal workplace doesn't count as work time. So, unless you've explicitly agree that travel time counts as working time (or you're genuinely working on the train, for example), I think you're BU.

This. Where I work if you are home based you can include reasonable commuting time ( generally accepted as anything above 30 mins) or anything above what your ‘normal’ commute would be.