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Comments: Judith S. Karon
Webmaster: Lita C. Wallace
External Access: 7066

Compensation for Travel Time - Nonexempt Employee

Rev 5/92

Away from Home Community (More Than One Day)

Employees whose positions require them to travel and be gone overnight should be compensated for any travel time that occurs during their regular work hours occurring any day of the week. For example, if an employee regularly works from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday thru Friday, travel time during these hours is considered work time whether it occurs on a weekday or on Saturday and/or Sunday. Time spent in travel outside of regular work hours is not considered work time.

In addition, employees should not be compensated for travel time during regularly scheduled meal periods.

One-Day Assignments in Another City

Employees who regularly work at a fixed location, but may be required to travel to another city for a one-day assignment (but NOT be gone overnight), should be compensated for the hours spent in travel.

However, regular meal time would be deducted as well as any "home-to-work" time which may be involved.

Note: If it is for voluntary professional development, the department pays for regular work hours, not travel time; fees are paid at discretion of departmental management. If it is a required trip, the department pays for work time, as well as any fees or additional expenses in accordance with the University fiscal policy.

If it is a required trip, the department pays for work time away as well as any fees, etc.

If the combination of work time and travel time is more than 40 hours in one work week, the time is paid at 1-1/2 times the hourly rate of pay.

Extended Day Travel
http://www.fpd.finop.umn.edu/groups/ppd/documents/policy/Travel.cfm

The University will not reimburse employees (faculty and staff) for meal expenses incurred during extended day travel business trips. For purposes of this policy, extended day travel is at least twelve hours in duration and does not require an overnight stay. According to federal statutes regarding traveling away from home on business, there cannot be any tax-free reimbursements for meals relating to extended day travel.

The University will reimburse employees for dinner expenses only incurred during extended day travel if all three of the following conditions apply:

The extended day is at least 12 hours, causes the employee to be away from home during the evening dinner meal time, and does not require an overnight stay. (For example, an employee of UMD who departs Duluth at 7:00 a.m. for a meeting in the Twin Cities and returns home at 7:00 p.m. is considered in "extended day" status.)
AND

Reimbursements are made to the employee on an occasional basis, which means that tracking the frequency of the reimbursements is not administratively practicable.
AND

The employee may be reimbursed the applicable per diem rate for dinner only. Lunch is never a reimbursable expense.

*Note: Some employees have unique circumstances (such as an outstate location) that require frequent travel (more than on an occasional basis); depending on the length of the trips, these employees may not be in either extended day travel or overnight travel status. If those circumstances exist frequently and cause a financial hardship to the employee, managers are encouraged to provide additional, incremental compensation to those employees (salary augmentation). Consult the University Tax Department for additional guidance on taxable meal allowances, at (612) 624-1053 or kdf@umn.edu. Contact Payroll Services for the applicable paycode.