Skip to content
Small Business UK

Small Business UK

Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

  • Subscribe
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • RSS
  • Starting
    • Start a New Business
      • Setting up your business
      • Getting your business going
    • Advice
    • Funding
    • Ideas & planning
    • Investing in a franchise
    • Setting up a company
    • Sole trader
    • Success stories
    • Work life balance
  • Financing
    • Accounts & Tax
    • Alternative finance
      • Crowdfunding for Business
    • Banking
    • Business Loans
    • Grants
    • Payroll
  • Running
    • Business management
    • Buying and selling a company
    • Employing & managing staff
    • Export & Import
    • Finding and selling to customers
    • Insurance
    • Masterclass Series
    • International Business
    • Legal advice
    • Marketing
    • Office & home working
    • Getting Online
    • Technology
    • Taking Payments
    • Productivity
    • Smart Energy GB
  • News
    • Law
    • Management
    • Opportunities
    • Outlook
    • Partner Content
  • Podcast
  • Guides
    • Guides
    • Series
  • Business Tools
    • Start-Up Series
      • About
      • How to enter
      • Partners
    • Funding Your Small Business
    • Making Tax Digital
    • Website Checker
  • Starting
    • Start a New Business
      • Setting up your business
      • Getting your business going
    • Advice
    • Funding
    • Ideas & planning
    • Investing in a franchise
    • Setting up a company
    • Sole trader
    • Success stories
    • Work life balance
  • Financing
    • Accounts & Tax
    • Alternative finance
      • Crowdfunding for Business
    • Banking
    • Business Loans
    • Grants
    • Payroll
  • Running
    • Business management
    • Buying and selling a company
    • Employing & managing staff
    • Export & Import
    • Finding and selling to customers
    • Insurance
    • Masterclass Series
    • International Business
    • Legal advice
    • Marketing
    • Office & home working
    • Getting Online
    • Technology
    • Taking Payments
    • Productivity
    • Smart Energy GB
  • News
    • Law
    • Management
    • Opportunities
    • Outlook
    • Partner Content
  • Podcast
  • Guides
    • Guides
    • Series
  • Business Tools
    • Start-Up Series
      • About
      • How to enter
      • Partners
    • Funding Your Small Business
    • Making Tax Digital
    • Website Checker
  • Subscribe
Home » Running a Business » Employing & managing staff » Do I need to pay employee for travelling time?

Do I need to pay employee for travelling time?

by Andrew Willis26 October 2020

One of my employees, who travels 50 miles each way to work, is arguing that he should get paid for travelling time. How should I proceed?

Your employee is confusing travelling time during work with travelling time to and from work. There is no right to be paid for time spent travelling to and from work unless this is specifically set out within the contract. The only time you would normally look at making a payment or some contribution towards travel to and from work is if you require your employee to work at a different location from usual.

The obligation on an employer is to pay an employee in respect of their actions in carrying out their work. This doesn’t include covering the costs of getting to and from work unless you have specifically agreed to do so. Any travelling you require for work, such as visiting a customer within the employee’s working hours, is time spent carrying out work under the contract and so counts towards the time the employee should be paid for but the time spent getting to work and back is his choice and responsibility, not yours. Ensuring that time spent travelling is counted towards working hours is particularly important if the employee is paid at, or very near, to the national minimum wage rate appropriate for their age.

>See also: How to tell your staff they’re working reduced hours

It may well be that if he drives it isn’t the time but more the petrol that he is objecting to have to pay for and this is because of the sustained increase in petrol prices that will have impacted on the costs of him getting to and from work. This doesn’t change your obligations but can help explain why this issue has only come to the forefront now.

In light of the increasing petrol and transport costs you might want to consider if you have any alternative working options that would help your employees reduce their travel expenses while still ensuring all the work gets done, such as home working or car sharing.

Andrew Willis is head of legal at Croner

Further reading

How to deal with a furloughed employee who refuses to return to work

Tagged: Small Business Legal Issues

Related Topics

Small Business Legal Issues

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Related Stories

Employing & managing staff

Where to draw the line with workplace banter

Workplace banter lawsuits increased by 44% last year. What is the tipping point when workplace banter becomes downright insulting? And what can small business owners do to protect staff from hurtful remarks?

Employing & managing staff

Top tips for staff motivation in a small business

Getting paid and workplace perks are low down the list when it comes to keeping staff motivated, says Rachel King of HR specialist Breathe. Given how difficult it is to fill vacancies, here are top tips to keep staff enthused

Employing & managing staff

Six things employers need to know about bank holidays

With the Jubilee bank holiday approaching, Peninsula HR director Alan Price, explains everything you need to know about bank holidays

Employing & managing staff

Outsourcing HR v inhouse HR management

HR has the power to shape an organisation’s culture and future. Whether that’s achieved through an in-house team or outsourcing depends on your business’s priorities

Helping you grow your business is our number one priority, if you would like to take your business to the next step just sign up!

sign up now

Related Stories

Employing & managing staff

Where to draw the line with workplace banter

Workplace banter lawsuits increased by 44% last year. What is the tipping point when workplace banter becomes downright insulting? And what can small business owners do to protect staff from hurtful remarks?

Employing & managing staff

Top tips for staff motivation in a small business

Getting paid and workplace perks are low down the list when it comes to keeping staff motivated, says Rachel King of HR specialist Breathe. Given how difficult it is to fill vacancies, here are top tips to keep staff enthused

Employing & managing staff

Six things employers need to know about bank holidays

With the Jubilee bank holiday approaching, Peninsula HR director Alan Price, explains everything you need to know about bank holidays

Employing & managing staff

How to decide on HR policy for your small business

An HR policy sits alongside your marketing strategy and financial policy when it comes to day-to-day operations. But it’s so much more than just a set of rules and regulations, it’s a document which defines your business

SmallBusiness.co.uk provides advice and useful guides to UK sole traders and small businesses. Our goal is to help owner managers and entrepreneurs to start, run, grow and succeed in business, helping turn your business idea into a profitable business.

The Bonhill Network

  • Bonhill Group plc
  • Information Age
  • InvestmentNews
  • What Investment
  • Growth Business
  • Tax Guide
  • DiversityQ

Further Information

  • Contact Details
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Blog
  • About this Website
  • Media Packs
  • Contributor guidelines
  • Small Business Whitepapers

Contact us

  • 0207 7638 6378

Address

  • Bonhill Group plc
  • 29 Clerkenwell Road
  • London
  • EC1M 5RN

A part of the Bonhill Group