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AIBU?

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Original poster

To say that travel to various work locations count as work time?

64 replies

Beaniesmumsie · 30/03/2023 20:51

I just had a very good job interview with a big organisation and I’m feeling like they’ll offer me the job, they have many offices dotted around the country including Scotland, it’s a WFH position with HQ down south (I’m in the Midlands so about 3 hours drive). I was asked how comfortable I am with travelling and I said fine as long as it counts as work time. However they said they expect people to travel during their own time (not for big trips like to Scotland but they expect me to travel to HQ twice a month) and then do a full work day. Is this normal? In my previous jobs any travelling away from your place of work counts as work time.

I know if I get offered I’ll clarify with them to make sure I’m not misunderstanding them, but it’s gonna be a big sticking point for me.

YANBU - yes you should travel outside of core work hours
YABU - you had it lucky with previous jobs where travel to different offices count as work time

OP posts:
Cosyblankets · 30/03/2023 20:52

My husband has a job that requires travel. He travels in work time

Hesma · 30/03/2023 20:55

Your two voting options don’t make sense

Middletoleft · 30/03/2023 20:56

Maybe it depends on the employer and seniority. If you're senior in my workplace it would be travel, workday, travel back or stay over, workday and travel back earlier with a bit of flex in following days.

DashboardConfessional · 30/03/2023 20:57

It depends. My DH flew to the US for work last week, 12 hour flight, which was on a Sunday to be able to work Monday, but sometimes flies on a Wednesday which counts as a working day. He is remote but has one day a month in the office and is expected to be there as close to 9am as possible so leaves at 6 30am. Jobs do vary.

Albiboba · 30/03/2023 20:58

It’s usually a bit of both. Once you get to a certain pay grade it’s expected based on your contract that you work until the job gets done, rather than being contracted until X time. So while lots of the travel would also be in work time it would be highly unusual for someone to be travelling from the south to Scotland for work but refuse to get on a train until their normal work time, or to demand to leave at 1pm so they arrive home by 5:30.

Ohwonderful · 30/03/2023 20:58

I've worked where the company expected counted anything over 1 hour commute as work time. So if I was to be in the city for 9am, and I required to leave at 6am to do so. I'd be on the at 7am. I think this is a relatively common approach. My OH company works similarly.

MrsJackRackham · 30/03/2023 21:03

Do you get travel expenses for going to HQ? If so then it's a business journey and you should get time.

GCWorkNightmare · 30/03/2023 21:06

That’s about financial recompense, not time.

parietal · 30/03/2023 21:07

I work in central London 3 days per week and wfh 2 days per week (45 min commute). My commute time to my primary office definitely doesn't count as work time.

if I do a big trip to Brussels or Paris etc (often leaving home 6am / back midnight etc), that travel does count as work time.

I think for your job, they count wfh has a privilege and the travel to your primary office (twice a month) is equivalent to my commute and does NOT count as work time.

Travel to other destinations would could as work time.

GCWorkNightmare · 30/03/2023 21:08

I’m pretty senior and a certain amount of travel in my own time is expected. I travel across the whole of England and am usually not at home 2-3 days a week.

They ask us to travel during work time, but then the work doesn’t get done.

UsingChangeofName · 30/03/2023 21:09

I think your opening post is a different question from what I was expecting when I opened the thread.

If you have to move locations - from one site to another, be that office, factory, building site, retail unit, training centre, hospital, people's homes, or whatever - during a day, so one working day consists of moving about, then I'd say yes, travel counts as work time.

But, if you are working in one place for the day, then no travel time is down to you. If you choose to apply for a job that involves you being a HQ twice a month, then that is your choice to apply for a job that is so far away from home.

I work at different venues quite regularly, and your first and last journeys of the day don't count as work time. Any additional journeys during the day, do.

This is something that has only come to more people's attention with the advent of more people wfh. So more people choose to either move away from where their work is, or people choose to apply for jobs that aren't near their home. All well and good, but it isn't the employer's responsibility to pay for your time or expenses when they aren't responsible for your choices.
I think that is different from you having a job in a workplace near where you live, and then being asked to visit a different site once or twice a month, as you originally applied for the local office. You (if I have read it right) are applying for a new job 3 hours away. That isn't the employer's decision.

abyssofwoah · 30/03/2023 21:09

Depends on whether it’s business travel or commute. We have staff that work mainly remotely but are expected as part of their contract to be present in the office at least once every couple of weeks. That travel for them would be counted as commuting, but any other travel for business would be covered by expenses.

Mycathatesmecuddling · 30/03/2023 21:10

I do travel sometimes for work and I do a mix of work time and my time but it's also okay where I am to do it totally in work time

In my case its because I normally go down the night before if I'm in a specific office the next day, so I might not get to the hotel until say 8 which is technically my time but I'm not too bothered

I would be concerned with the company you mention though that they don't respect a healthy work life balance and that would mean they aren't a great employer to work for

ArcticSkewer · 30/03/2023 21:10

Is this job a 'commute to head office twice a month but otherwise wfh' job, with other travel to hubs considered as travel rather than commute?

That's a pretty common job type nowadays

Gizlotsmum · 30/03/2023 21:11

So we have an unofficial rule that anything above your normal commute time to your base can be taken in working time. So I have a 45 ish min drive ( 25 miles) anything over that I am able to count as working hours.

StaySpicy · 30/03/2023 21:12

I drive around to different places in the day, so that travelling definitely happens in work time. But my initial commute to my base in the morning doesn't come in work time. I'm also not reimbursed for my commute, only the driving to other places.

So, I would say, if you're travelling to your "base office" that's a commute so wouldn't come in work time.

Really, I mean it's 3 hours maybe once a fortnight. Doesn't seem too bad. I know plenty of people who commute 60-75 minutes then do a day's work then commute home for 60-75 minutes every single day.

FabFitFifties · 30/03/2023 21:13

A bit different, but my base is my home and I travel around during the day. The first and last journey of the day are not work time. The journeys inbetween are in work time.

StaySpicy · 30/03/2023 21:14

Sorry, just realised you said 3 hours one way.

It's still only twice a month. If possible I'd get a train and enjoy some relaxation time with a book.

Cantstaystuckforever · 30/03/2023 21:17

*I think for your job, they count wfh has a privilege and the travel to your primary office (twice a month) is equivalent to my commute and does NOT count as work time.z

I think this pp has it right. Some jobs in high demand are remote first and they'll pay for people to travel. But if it could be recruited locally, then it's effectively a 2 day a week in the office job, and you're just choosing a long commute.

Would they pay for travel? Could also be worth checking, as that can really add up.

ZebraKid71 · 30/03/2023 21:17

At my work anything above your normal travel to your office counts as work time - so for me anything over half an hour. (For those who work permanently at home they have to have a "home office" location recorded in their contract which may actually be quite far away but is still how it would be calculated.)

Cantstaystuckforever · 30/03/2023 21:17
  • 2 day a month not 2 day a week
LubaLuca · 30/03/2023 21:18

If I travel to another UK city then I travel in my own time but will be put up in a hotel the night before so I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn.

Foreign travel is done in work time, or if it falls on a weekend I get the time back in lieu.

fruitbrewhaha · 30/03/2023 21:18

I would have thought I bit of both, if you dont get on a train until 9am, you’ll arrive at 12:00 and then would want to leave at 2:00 in order to get home by 5:00. I think you got to have some
flex.

Esssa · 30/03/2023 21:21

That's essentially 12 hours commuting a month. Not a lot put like that. I do think 6 hours travel plus a full day at work is a lot though.