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

In Washington, employees must be paid for all time spent on work-related travel. This does not include travel to and from the employee’s home or the workplace, but any other travel that is related to the job. That includes time spent driving, flying, taking public transportation, and any other time spent physically traveling. Employees must be paid their regular rate of pay for all work-related travel time. This includes time taken to wait in airports before or after flights, and to wait for their transportation to arrive. If the employee decides to take a slower, cheaper form of transport, such as public transportation or a shared ride, then the employer should pay the employee for the amount of time actually spent travelling, instead of the time it would take to get to the destination by their regular method of transport. Employees also need to be paid for any overtime hours spent travelling. Overtime is any time worked over 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week, and must be paid at 1.5 times the employee’s regular rate. If an employee works during their travel time, they should be paid their overtime rate for all hours worked, in addition to their regular rate for travel time. Employees should also be reimbursed for any work-related expenses they incur. This includes things like meals, hotels, and transportation costs. Employers should provide the employee with a company credit card, or reimburse the employee for any expenses they incur while travelling, as long as they provide receipts and itemized expenses.

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

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