Thoughts on unpaid travel

[pazanne]

Any advice welcome.

I work for a cleaning company, I am on a zero hours. I work around 80 -85 hours a month but I also spend another roughly 20 hours unpaid in a car going to jobs. This has just shot up significantly as we have new premises. I feel like I am driving to work twice! Can I do anything about this. Does this push my wage below minimum or do I just suck it up and give all this time to my employer for free.

I thought regulations had changed recently and travel time was now paid. Might have be more aimed at carers but could be applicable to you.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34217549
Seems you should be paid for travel to first and from last job.

I sympathise, we aren't paid for travel time at present. Hoping this will change in April but they still only allocate five minutes between jobs.

My understanding is that travel time between jobs is part of your working time for the purpose of calculating minimum wage. Travel from/to home doesn't count, but if you are travelling between jobs, you should be paid for that time.

I have no idea if that pushes your wage below the minimum, it depends how much you get paid in the first place...

Recent ruling on unpaid travel time

But why it might still not be paid

Travelling between jobs already counts in regards to National Minimum Wage

Thanks LIZS. I will look into this further. We do have an office now but I don't get paid until I reach the first house nor when leaving last house back to office.

LordEmsworth I get paid inbetween job. Once I get to office I then have to travel to first job to get paid. On average I work 80 hours a month and travel roughly 20 hours to get to jobs. I haven't inc commute to work. I am on £7 an hour but on £6.70 for the inbetween jobs pay.

Hope this is making sense....

So you travel to the office (unpaid) then on to first job, at which point you start to get paid? And then go on to other jobs, with the travelling time (20 hours) paid at a lower rate than your "regular" time (80 hours) but still at minimum wage?

It's fairly clear that your time from office to first job, and from last job to office, should be included for NMW calculations.

Your overall rate - i.e. total paid (gross), divided by number of hours worked, including travel time from the point you reach the office to the point you get back to it - should be the NMW or higher.

The .gov.uk website suggests calling ACAS if you have any questions.

No, I think the OP's day is:

Travel to Office (unpaid)
Travel to first job (unpaid)
1 st job -last job (paid)
Travel to office (unpaid)
Travel home (unpaid)

I would think that the OP should be paid from office-office.

I contract (in a different type of job) and if I was out of the office would start charging when I reach the office.

Yes Lougle that's exactly right! Thanks.

We have contacted the company but they are insisting they are in the right.

Yes - that's what was in my head, your version is much clearer Lougle.

I agree that office-office should be included in the NMW calculation (i.e. for the purposes of calculating whether OP falls below NMW, these hours should be included).

I think that office-office ought to be paid in its own right - i.e. not subsidised by the fact that non-travel hours are paid at a higher rate than NMW - but that is likely to be a harder fight...