What are the rules for paying employees for work-related travel?

In California, employers must follow wage and hour laws when compensating employees for work-related travel. The rules for payment vary depending on the type of travel and whether the employee is paid an hourly or a salary rate. For hourly employees, employers must pay an employee for travel time if the travel is performed as part of their job. This includes time spent traveling from one job site to another, such as when an employee works at multiple locations or when they must travel for business meetings. In these cases, travel time must be paid at the employee’s usual hourly rate. For salaried employees, employers must calculate the number of hours an employee works that is related to travel. This includes the amount of time an employee spends in transit and the amount of time that they take for meals and other activities related to travel. Employers must then calculate the number of hours worked related to travel and pay the employee a proportional amount of their salary. Finally, employers must pay employees for any “waiting time” spent on work-related travel, such as time spent waiting for an airplane or waiting for a meeting to begin. This time must be compensated at the employee’s regular rate of pay. In summary, California employers must adhere to wage and hour laws when compensating employees for work-related travel. This includes paying hourly employees their usual rate for time spent in transit, salaried employees for a proportional amount of their salary based on hours worked related to travel, and employees for any waiting time spent on travel.

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