Travelling for work

[Worktravel]

Good evening.

Can anyone please advise on how many hours travelling by car, per day, is considered reasonable (for the purpose of attending a meeting away from the usual place of work) before an employer should arrange overnight accommodation?

Nothing is specified within the contract.

Thanks in advance.

I often travel 5hrs (2.5hrs each way), sometimes up to 3hrs each way. I only ever request a hotel if i need to stay overnight for the next day

Bit more context OP?

What are you doing in the meeting? Internet workshop that is very draining or just siting round catching up?

Regularly or one-off?

Easy roads or hellish drive?

8am - 6pm or 10-4?

We don't have a rule on this, it's left for us to decide really. Depends in part on where I'm going and what I'll be doing there (ie is it going to be tiring), how long I'll be there, and what time I'd have to leave/arrive back home. I frequently will travel up to 2.5 hours each way, but am only doing 3-4 hours work when I get there, so it's not unmanageable. Above three hours each way and a full day working I'd be thinking about staying over.

Correction:

What are you doing in the meeting? Intense workshop that is very draining or just sitting round catching up?

We work on 14hrs door to door

I've been told informally that > 4 hrs each way is about the threshold where overnight stay might be granted. NHS.

It’s 3.5 hours non stop each way, takes longer when travelling in peak hour or when roadworks are encountered (Often).

Couple of complex meetings once there, for around 3 hours. No food or refreshments provided except water.

Sounds like this is reasonable then. I appreciate the speedy responses.

Travelling seven hours for a three hour meeting? What a waste of time! And terrible for the environment.

Why can't you Skype/call?

Not allowed. Believe me, we’ve tried.

Some colleagues have various health issues and are expected to do the same.

Video conferencing would be a godsend.

How many hours are you supposed to do per day?

7.5

Do they give you time off in lieu for these 10+ hour days?

No food or refreshments? That’s ridiculous. Seriously OP if that’s true you need to say something. They should be providing you with an allowance for lunch at least

Yes, officially we can claim time back. In practice this rarely happens as no time to take it.

Over two hours to get there, we stay over.

On a standard 8 hour day I would say no more than two hours each way so a max of 13 hours a day including lunch.