i've been told they don't pay travel time????

[golfpunk2007]

i work on the books for a firm and they are telling me i have to work 2 hours away for them but i must do 8 hours on the job! my vehicle has a tracker! 8-4.30(30 minutes as they don't pay for dinner break!) i will have to be on the road at 5.30am and will get back at 7.00pm but they say they are'nt paying travel time?? so i will be giving them 20 hours aweek for nothing???? can they do this??

[Buenchico]

Travelling time is a bit of a grey area in employment law. It definitely counts as part of 'employed time' for someone like a sales rep but it doesn't normally count for payment when somebody is simply travelling to and from their normal place of work. However, if you were originally working locally and you're now forced to work 'away', it's likely that this would constitute a change to your contract, which might well oblige your employer to pay you for your travelling time.

You should call the Acas helpline on 08457 47 47 47 from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm, Monday to Friday, for free, expert and unbiased advice.

If your employment, at a distant location, is going to continue for a long time (and if it can be established that 'travelling time' constitutes part of your paid employment), your employers need to ensure that, when averaged over a 17 week period, your working hours (including travelling time) do not exceed 48 hours per week. Otherwise, unless you have voluntarily entered into a written agreement with your employers (exempting them from the provisions of the Working Hours Regulations), they will be breaking the law.

Chris

[golfpunk2007]

thanks alot chris i'm going to look into it! and phone them up!!!