Own Time or Work Time for Travel?

[MusicDance]

Interested in your thoughts on this.

• employee has been shortlisted for an industry award.
• award ceremony is during work time.
• employer will pay for travel and hotel costs.
• travel from employee's home to ceremony venue is around 6.5 hours each way.
• employee has a disability which will probably mean that the journey will impact them (through increased pain, fatigue etc) in the days after the ceremony; however, they would like to attend.

My question is, should the journey count as work time (i.e. they will get time back in lieu) or should they cover it in their own time?

Employee is at a level where some flexibility in hours is expected, but not senior enough to be expected to work long hours outside their contracted times.

Given the one-off nature of the event I’d allow time off in lieu. Is the event in the evening? So basically travel in the working day, then event and overnight, then travel back next working day?

If the employee has declared the disability then there should be an impact assessment with Occupational health.

But if the employee is able to do some work whilst travelling that would be a nice compromise

I would say that journey is work time but have known plenty (too many) who see travel as some sort of perk and the employee should be grateful they are getting to stay in a hotel and not be sleeping on a park bench.

I used to travel a lot for work and was allowed to claim time off in lieu for travel, but only up to a certain limit each day which I think was 9 hours (including time worked) to prevent people building up excessive amounts of time off. There was an expectation that I'd do some work during that time (relevant reading, writing a report, keeping on top of emails). It meant if I'd had an early start then I would arrange to stay overnight and travel back the following day. For an event like this I'd expect most of the travel to be done during work hours on company time over the course of two days.

I would judge that time off in lieu was appropriate here to allow employee to be able to attend the event without negative consequence to their own health in the day after getting back. If they will need more time to recover from the journey than an able bodied employee, this would seem an appropriate adjustment.

For an able bodied employee, at my work we’d probably be flexible with time too but a one off travel requirement if they’re paid enough for some mutual flexibility would probably be “fine to work from home / start late the next day”. Depends on the norm really.

Thanks to everyone who's replied so far. I think the disagreement at this end stems from different views on whether this is a work event/duty (where travel would also count as work), or essentially a "jolly" (as it involves dressing up, eating and drinking in a nice venue).

Who’s decision was it to put the employee forward for the award? Is it effectively marketing for the company or a personal achievement?

Their line manager. It's a bit of both honestly - personal recognition for the employee but good publicity for the company too. It's a genuine award not a puff thing.

I’d say time off in lieu is fair. If they’ve been put forward by their LM, and it’s recognised that the award has value to the business, then it isn’t purely personal. While it may look like a jolly, realistically attending an industry event is still going to involve networking etc which is all beneficial to the business, and it seems very off to put forward an employee for an award, enjoy the benefits of their success, but to realise they’ll struggle there and back due to their disability and make no provision for it to enable recovery even if it’s technically not mandatory.

Employee would get TOIL in my workplace

Employer gets the benefit of positive PR of the employee being shortlisted and potentially winning.

Employer is an arsehole quibbling on this

I would pay money not to have to go to that in my private life but would suck it up for work. If my employer behaved as if it was some kind of treat I'd be livid! Time off in lieu.

Work

Would the person be going to the event if they were not in that line of work?
No
Then it’s work

Well this would be my idea of hell, but I'd expect to travel in work time (public sector). DH travels in his own time but earns triple my salary, so doesn't mind.

We’ve recently had a similar situation - company up for an award which was a distance away. It was in no way compulsory, the company paid for the ticket, and the staff paid for travel expenses and hotel (if we wished to stay). Those that attended got a free half day A/L afternoon

It wouldn't be unreasonable to ask the question: "I will struggle with the journey if it has to be on top of my normal working day, can you clarify whether I can travel in work time?'

That's the only way you'll get a definite answer.

Where I work the norm would be to go by train and work on the train if in work time.

I think it depends if it’s something the company wants the employee to go to, and therefore is expected to go, in which case work time. If it’s something the employee wants to go to and has asked permission to attend then employee time.

Attending a work-related awards ceremony is an employee reward surely? You give the employee the time off to collect the award because it reflects well on them and on the company. If my work refused to give me time for this sort of thing I wouldn't go. No one goes to this sort of thing just for fun surely?

In my line of work it would be seen as extremely cheeky to ask for time off in lieu for this sort of thing as we regularly need to travel in our personal
time for proper work meetings, conferences and the like and never get time back for that so asking for time back for an award ceremony that it’s not even mandatory to attend would go down like a lead balloon but I guess it depends on the industry and pay grade of the employee as well as how strongly the company feels about the employee attending ie did they ask/suggest the employee should go or did employee ask? If the latter I think it’s cheeky given the employer is already paying hotel and travel costs.

If you're travelling on work time, I would consider that part of work and not do additional hours. If I was travelling for work outside of work hours, I wouldn't expect TOIL.

This.

If you're so bothered about travel time being work time. Travel in working hours. I think the event is pretty much your time. If you don't want to go, don't. Your employer will think badly of you.

I would assume I could travel in work time. If I were told that wasn’t possible, I’d explain to the organisers that due to my employer’s position and my disability, I’d be unable to accept my award in person.

I’d assume the employee would travel in work time, but time outside their working day is not work time regardless of what they are doing. If the employee is expected to travel 6.5 hours each way in their own time that’s unreasonable.

What would the impact be if the employee said that they didn't want to go? Are they free to opt out?

I would say that the travel during work time is considered work but that they don’t get any time back for any element of travel that is in none work hours.
In terms of the next day I wouldn’t let them have a full day off without it being holiday but would see if there is a way for it to be an easier day - start a bit later/ focus on easier tasks etc. If they want the whole day off then that’s holiday.