To think I shouldn’t have to make the time back?

[losingpassionforlife]

Sometimes I have to work in a different office location and it can take 3 hours to get there. I usually leave early (I’m still getting home for 7pm) and this is what my manager does to.

Then today she’s casually dropped it in about me making up the time for leaving early. I think it’s a big ask to do a 6 hour round travel in a day and to make up a further two hours. Aibu?

That’s ridiculous.

I’m at another site now and my manager includes travel time as our hours.

Absolutely not. I would be taking time back for extra hours working, as travelling to another location is still work.

Our sites were scattered across the same borough but I was based at one. If I had to go elsewhere, I was expected to work the same length of shift however long the journey was - in my contract 'to work anywhere in the borough as necessary'. Worked for the council, it was shit.

Sometimes I have to work in a different office location and it can take 3 hours to get there. I usually leave early

How early are you leaving? What’s the deal with travel usually-are you still expected to work eg 9-5 regardless of which office you’re in?

I’d pretend to have misunderstood, and clarify with her that she meant being paid overtime for the extra time you’re spending travelling to the office.

Check your contract, but for us if they want you somewhere different to your permanent place of work it’s expected travel from the office to the other location is done in work time or paid.

Otherwise rock up at your normal office at starting time, and then travel to the other location, ensuring you leave in sufficient time to be back at your office for finishing time.

Where does your contract say is your place of work? If it doesn't specifically say '3-hour away office', then you're fine.

She's on thin ice. If you're being asked to travel to another location that counts as work time

I presume you're not contracted to work from the far away location?

You certainly should not be asked to make up travel time from a location that isn't your contracted place of work.

I think it depends on whether or not the other site is considered your place of work (not sure if you can have multiple 'places of work') and if it is considered your place of work, whether that was clear when you started.

Can you get to the other location on a train? Is your work something you can do on the train? I live quite a long way from my office and go once a week. I am able to work on the train so I am often working on my laptop at 7am but also often leave early to get home at a reasonable time.

What does your contract say ?

"Hi Susan, I just wanted to confirm I understood you correctly when you talked about making up travel time the other day. Are you saying that on days when I spend 6 hours travelling to a site other than my usual place of work I am also expected to put in the full amount of working hours? Because in terms of time lost this amounts to almost a full extra day spent at work that week. If your expectation is that the additional travel time does not count towards my working hours, I'd like to have a conversation about claiming either paid overtime or time off in lieu for the travel time. According to ACAS, time spent travelling to a site other than my usual workplace should be counted as work time."

I would want the extra travel time to be included in my working hours. Anything else is unfair (unless it's specifically written into your contract that you work across multiple locations).

Travelling to and from home shouldn't be included in your working hours but travelling during your working day should. So my home office is Brighton I get there for 9 I then travel to Worthing east bourne and Lewes. I Finish at 5 and travel home, not via the Brighton office.

I'd say it depends what's in your contract. I have to work across 4 sites. They are a maximum of 12 miles apart. I am expected to be at any one of them, for normal working hours, dependent on responsibilities.

If your contract says only your 'home' base of work, then travel from there should be part of work time. So, if your usual office is 10 miles away, and your other place is 25 miles away, only your 15 additional miles are part of your work day. The other 10 is your usual commute.

However, if it was a one-off, and I was your boss, I'd not bother.

What does your contract say?

It depends on your contract.

Normally, you'd count travel time to and from the other site within your working hours. You'd also be paid for travel. (If you're driving, make sure you have business use on your insurance).

If your contract states that you will be working at various sites, then unfortunately they might be able to expect you to start and finish there. Get some advice from your union.

Travel time is not generally included in your working hours. Leaving early without asking your manager if it was ok probably pissed her off.

I think it does depend on your contract.

But usually, and in the absence of anything specific in the contract, travel to somewhere other than your contracted place of work ought to be counted as part of your working hours.

I would ask the manager about the contract.

It does seem unreasonable on the face of it, but you could have been stitched up by the contract.

Normally your work place is not responsible for how long it takes you to get to work or how much it costs. If you've taken a job that requires work over multiple sites then you know that you might have any of these journeys, and need to be committed to doing any of them as your unpaid travel to and from work.

The exception might be if you have a "base" site that is your normal place of work, and are paid to leave it/travel further than home to base.

Is there anything in your contract about work locations and expectations?

Nope.

Everything outside of travel to my Base office is done on work time. If I'm travelling to an office 3 hours away, I'm doing it the day before during work time and I'm getting a hotel and travelling back on the 2pm train.

I have a normal place of work. If I have to travel elsewhere for work that happens during work time, or I can take the time back another day.

They pay for the travel and any required hotels, I'm not there for the fun of it.

Do you have a base location?
Work out the time taken to travel to that and then take off any extra that you do. That extra is YOUR time that you should take off in lieu not have to work back!!!