Travel Time & Travel Time Off

Whether or not travel time is compensable depends on the kind of travel involved.  There are three categories of travel time:

• Commuter Travel
• Single-Day Travel
• Multi-Day Travel (includes Travel Time ETO)

See the Related Subjects section at the end of this policy for examples of recording travel time appropriately.

This policy applies to all SPA employees, both permanent and temporary.  However, certain elements of this policy apply only to some SPA employees, as defined below.

For any employee, commuting time from the employee's home to the employee's regular work location and back is not considered compensable time.  "Home" is considered any location of origin for the commute that is at the employee's discretion.

Single-day work-related travel and/or travel to an alternate work location is considered work time, less the time that would have contributed to the employee's regular work commute.

For FLSA non-exempt employees, both permanent and temporary, single-day work-related travel contributes to time worked in calculating overtime eligibility.

Multi-day travel is work-related travel that requires at least one overnight stay away from the employee's home or home community. 

For multi-day work-related travel, any travel occurring during the employee's regular work schedule is considered work time.  In addition, any travel time occurring during the same "hours of the clock" on a day that is not a regularly scheduled work day is also considered work time.

For example: For an employee regularly scheduled to work 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday, travel time on Sunday between 8 AM and 5 PM would be considered during the same "hours of the clock".

Both types contribute to time worked in calculating overtime eligibility for FLSA non-exempt employees, both temporary and permanent.

Management may adjust an employee's schedule for the same work week to accommodate these hours and not incur liability for overtime pay.

Any travel time occurring outside these "hours of the clock" (less the employee's regular commute and/or meal periods) is not considered time worked. However, SPA permanent employees may receive Travel Time Equal Time Off (ETO) for these hours.

• Travel Time ETO is required for permanent SPA non-exempt employees and is at management's discretion) for permanent SPA exempt employees.
• Temporary and EPA employees are not eligible for Travel Time ETO and do not receive compensation for travel time outside regular work hours as defined in above in "Multi-Day Travel -- Work Time".

Travel Time ETO does not contribute to time worked for determining overtime eligibility and will not be offset by any additional time worked during the work week. See "Determining Time Worked" in the Related Subjects section below.

Travel Time ETO is earned on a hour-for-hour basis.  The maximum accrual is 240 hours (pro-rated for part-time employees). 

For SPA non-exempt permanent employees:

• Any hours in excess of 240 (pro-rated) must be paid out for SPA permanent non-exempt employees as it is earned.  
• Travel Time ETO must be used within 12 months (52 weeks) of its accrual, or it must be paid out.

For SPA exempt permanent employees:

• Any hours in excess of 240 (pro-rated) are forfeited.
• Travel Time ETO must be used within 6 months (26 weeks) of its accrual, or it is forfeited.

See "Leave/PTO Payouts & Transfers" for more information.

For Departments Using the Time Information Management (TIM) System: 

Implementation of the Time Information System (TIM) to track work hours, special pay, and leave for University employees began its phased implementation in August 2007.  See "TIM Website" in the Related Subjects section below for information on recording Travel Time ETO.

Employee groups not yet moved into the TIM system follow the recordkeeping structure defined below. 

For Departments Using Employee Time Records:

For permanent SPA non-exempt employees who complete an Employee Time Record:

• Travel Time ETO accrued during the pay cycle shall be indicated in the "Explanation" section of the document and tracked separately by the department's HR Facilitator or TIM Administrator.  
• Travel Time ETO used as paid leave during the pay cycle shall be coded on the Time Record with a "T" in the Code column.

For permanent SPA exempt employees:

• Accrual and use of Travel Time ETO shall be recorded and tracked by the department's HR Facilitator or TIM Administrator.

See also "Leave/PTO Payouts & Transfers"

For questions about recording travel-related time on a Time Record, or if you have questions about your leave balances, contact your department's TIM Administrator or HR Facilitator, or visit the TIM website (listed below).

If you have questions about this policy, contact the Classification and Compensation Specialist in the Office of Human Resources assigned to work with your department.