Travel Tales: Work To Home Odyssey

When you travel from work to home, you are embarking on a transition that signifies much more than a change in location. This journey represents a mental and emotional shift, a transition from the professional realm to the comfort and familiarity of your personal sanctuary. The commute serves as a bridge between two distinct worlds, offering a unique perspective on the balance of our lives. It is a time when we reflect on the day's events, make plans for the evening, or simply unwind, allowing our minds to wander as we navigate the physical distance between our professional and personal lives. This transition period holds a unique significance, marking the boundary between our work lives and our personal lives, and often providing a much-needed respite from the demands of our careers.

Travel time from work to home counts as working time for peripatetic workers

For employees with a fixed place of work, such as an office they go to every day, their travel time to and from work does not typically count as working time. However, employers can choose to include this time as part of working hours. On the other hand, travel time during work hours, such as travelling from one client to another or from an office to a meeting, is usually considered working time.

For employees with no fixed place of work, travel time from home to work is likely to be counted as working time. These employees are often known as 'peripatetic workers' and include people who spend a lot of time visiting customers or clients, such as plumbers, teachers working at multiple schools, and travelling salespeople. During their commute, peripatetic workers are considered to be doing work for their employer, as tasks may be added or changed.

When travel time counts as working time, the pay received by the employee depends on the employment contract. Employers must adhere to the National Minimum Wage laws when calculating pay. In the United States, non-exempt employees, including both hourly and salaried workers, have the right to be compensated for their work-related travel time. Exempt employees, such as executives and administrative staff, receive a fixed salary and are not entitled to additional payment for travel.

In certain situations, commuting time may be considered paid time. For example, if an employee is asked to perform work-related tasks outside of their normal hours, the time spent commuting from home may be eligible for travel pay. Additionally, if an employee travels away from their home community and has to stay overnight, companies must compensate hourly employees for all travel during work hours. Salaried employees must be paid for overnight travel time if they work while travelling or if the travel occurs on a non-work day.

Companies must compensate employees for travel during work hours

Employees with long commutes or jobs that require travel between workplaces spend a significant amount of time travelling for work. While many companies consider travel time to be an unpaid part of an employee's regular work duties, some organisations do compensate for extra travel time. Federal laws require employers to pay for certain types of travel, and companies must follow guidelines in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 and the Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947, which define several types of travel time to work and outline whether employers must pay for that time.

Commute

The government does not consider commuting hours to be part of a standard work schedule, so companies are not mandated to pay employees for this time. However, exceptions may apply when employees commute outside of normal hours for work-related emergencies or overtime.

Travel between work sites

This refers to any travel time between offices or assignments as part of an employee's normal workday. Companies are legally required to compensate employees for this time. Examples include a driver transporting goods between sites or a salesperson travelling between offices for meetings.

Special assignment

This is a type of travel time from an employee's home to a different work location than usual. If the travel time is longer than the employee's normal commute, such as driving to a one-day conference in another city, the company is obligated to compensate the employee for the additional time.

Travel away from your home community

This includes travel that requires an employee to stay away from home overnight. Companies must pay hourly employees for all travel during work hours. Salaried employees must be paid for overnight travel time if they work while travelling, such as on a plane, or if they travel on a non-workday.

Peripatetic workers

Peripatetic workers are those who have no fixed place of work and spend a significant amount of time visiting customers or clients. Examples include plumbers, teachers working at multiple schools, and travelling salespeople. For these workers, travel between home and work is often considered working time, as they may receive additional tasks or changes to their schedule from their employer during this time.

Work performed while travelling

Employees must be compensated for any time they are performing work, including working as a passenger while travelling. For example, if an employee works on a presentation during a flight, their employer must pay them for that time.

In summary, companies must compensate employees for travel during work hours in specific circumstances, as outlined by federal laws and guidelines. These regulations ensure that employees are fairly paid for their time and help employers operate within legal boundaries.

Employees can claim a tax deduction for travel expenses in certain circumstances

Additionally, certain types of travel are considered compensated working time. This includes travel between different work sites or assignments during the workday, such as a salesperson travelling between offices for meetings. Travel for a special assignment, such as a conference in another city, is also compensated if it is longer than the employee's normal commute. Travel that requires an employee to stay away from home overnight is also compensated, and employers must pay employees for all travel during work hours.

In terms of tax deductions, employees can claim these when travelling for work away from their "tax home" or main place of work. A "tax home" is usually where the employee's main place of business is located, which may be different from where they live with their family. Travel expenses must be "ordinary and necessary", and cannot be lavish, extravagant, or for personal purposes. Deductible travel expenses include transportation costs, such as flights, train tickets, or car mileage; lodging expenses, such as hotels or Airbnb stays; meals; dry cleaning and laundry; business calls and communication; and tips for services. It is important to keep records of expenses, such as receipts and cancelled checks, to support any tax deduction claims.

Digital nomads are professionals who perform their duties while travelling the world

The traditional concept of travelling for work has typically involved employees commuting to a fixed place of work, such as an office, or travelling between different work sites or client locations. In recent times, however, the nature of work has evolved with the advent of digital nomadism.

Digital nomads are professionals who embrace a highly mobile and location-independent lifestyle, leveraging technology and the internet to perform their duties remotely while travelling the world. This phenomenon has been made possible by the integration of mobile devices and the internet into everyday life, freeing individuals from the constraints of geography and distance.

Digital nomads enjoy the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, be it a cosy café in Buenos Aires or a beachside bungalow in Bali. They often have minimal material possessions, working remotely from temporary housing, cafes, public libraries, co-working spaces, or even recreational vehicles. The majority of digital nomads identify as programmers, content creators, designers, or developers.

The digital nomad lifestyle offers numerous perks, including the ability to experience new cultures, meet diverse people, and achieve a better work-life balance. It also provides opportunities for personal growth, exploration, and the pursuit of aspirations. Additionally, digital nomads can contribute to the local economies of the places they visit by spending their income on accommodation, dining, and tourism.

However, the digital nomad lifestyle also comes with certain challenges. These include loneliness, burnout, and the difficulty of maintaining long-distance relationships with friends and family. Digital nomads may also face complexities related to international health insurance, local laws, taxes, work visas, and inconsistent income, especially if they rely on gig work or freelancing.

Remote workers often struggle to maintain healthy professional boundaries

Remote working has had a notable impact on the work-life balance of employees, with research from the University of Turku in Finland highlighting the blurred boundaries between work and family responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue is particularly pronounced for female employees, who have recorded working longer hours on top of additional domestic chores, such as homeschooling children and caring for relatives.

A survey by The Conference Board revealed that 47% of remote workers in the US are concerned about the blurred boundaries between their jobs and personal lives. During the pandemic, these workers experienced increased hours, burnout, and difficulty disconnecting from work, while their engagement/morale, mental health, and number of vacation and sick days decreased.

To address these challenges, remote workers can try the following strategies:

• Take regular breaks to help buffer the negative consequences of unintentional interruptions. This is especially important for women, who are more likely to be interrupted when working from home.
• Agree on a clear work schedule with your manager and refrain from working outside of those contracted hours.
• Set priorities and boundaries, such as only checking emails during work hours or between specified times, to help manage your workload and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Establish physical, emotional, and mental boundaries. For example, wearing headphones to signal that you're busy, avoiding engaging in someone's bad mood, and setting instant messaging statuses to indicate your focus.
• Develop strong communication skills to express your thoughts and set clear boundaries with your supervisor and colleagues.
• Be honest with others about your intentions and reasoning when setting boundaries to help them understand and respect your limits.
• Build professional relationships within the workplace to ensure your personal life remains separate from your work.

Frequently asked questions