Business travel / time in lieu entitlement?
Discussion
The UK company I work for occasionally requires employees to work abroad (Europe or US) - sometimes one week, can be up to six weeks. Weekend working while abroad is not required. Weekend expenses are provided.
My question is - should employees be entitled to time off in lieu for the weekends they are away from home?
There's no mention of anything applicable in the contract.
My question is - should employees be entitled to time off in lieu for the weekends they are away from home?
There's no mention of anything applicable in the contract.
crankshaft said:
The UK company I work for occasionally requires employees to work abroad (Europe or US) - sometimes one week, can be up to six weeks. Weekend working while abroad is not required. Weekend expenses are provided.
My question is - should employees be entitled to time off in lieu for the weekends they are away from home?
There's no mention of anything applicable in the contract.
The people in our firm who travel internationally aren't usually working 9-5/40 hour weeks or being paid on an hourly basis. The extra time incurred in travelling is seen very much to be part of the job (and the argument would be that your salary reflects the extra hours you're being asked to put in).My question is - should employees be entitled to time off in lieu for the weekends they are away from home?
There's no mention of anything applicable in the contract.
OTOH staff are usually allowed a day off (or work from home) to recover when they get back. It would be bonkers to expect somebody to get back to the UK and then turn up for work the same day.
crankshaft said:
Weekend expenses are provided.
.
As in hotel and meals only? Or hotel, meals, £50 to go and see the sights etc? If the latter, that sounds like they are already compensating for the weekends away from home..
My OH and iboth do a fair bit of business travel and i would love extra time in lieue but it's not happening!
akirk said:
I would doubt it if you are not working them - you still have the time off, even though it may be in another country
I suppose the argument is that you may be deprived of whatever you'd normally do on a weekend - spending time with family, playing sports with mates, etc. Personally I'd see it as a free holiday.MitchT said:
I suppose the argument is that you may be deprived of whatever you'd normally do on a weekend - spending time with family, playing sports with mates, etc. Personally I'd see it as a free holiday.
Some might see it as - potentially - 6 weeks of weekends away from your family that you're never going to get back.donkmeister said:
As in hotel and meals only? Or hotel, meals, £50 to go and see the sights etc? If the latter, that sounds like they are already compensating for the weekends away from home.
My OH and iboth do a fair bit of business travel and i would love extra time in lieue but it's not happening!
Total daily allowance the same as a week/work day - nothing extra.My OH and iboth do a fair bit of business travel and i would love extra time in lieue but it's not happening!
Countdown said:
crankshaft said:
The UK company I work for occasionally requires employees to work abroad (Europe or US) - sometimes one week, can be up to six weeks. Weekend working while abroad is not required. Weekend expenses are provided.
My question is - should employees be entitled to time off in lieu for the weekends they are away from home?
There's no mention of anything applicable in the contract.
The people in our firm who travel internationally aren't usually working 9-5/40 hour weeks or being paid on an hourly basis. The extra time incurred in travelling is seen very much to be part of the job (and the argument would be that your salary reflects the extra hours you're being asked to put in).My question is - should employees be entitled to time off in lieu for the weekends they are away from home?
There's no mention of anything applicable in the contract.
OTOH staff are usually allowed a day off (or work from home) to recover when they get back. It would be bonkers to expect somebody to get back to the UK and then turn up for work the same day.
If i am away over the weekend, then i am compensated with a lax expense policy and upgraded hotel/travel/activities.
On some occasions, the company fly my wife out rather than for me to return home e.g. middle-east or US. Or i fly to a mid-point somewhere to meet. The company pay for her travel, private car/taxi, and they subsidise the weekend for her as well - but she usually gets economy, or premium economy, flights. Depends on what is going on.
My annual salary and bonus is reflective of my role - some weeks are quiet/slow and are in total about 10/15 hours combined, some weeks are 36 hour working days.. just depends.
Yes it affects personal relationships, friends, family, etc. but it is what i am paid for, and i enjoy it.
Flooble said:
That applies to mobile workers Jas ... not people with an office who sometimes go out.
Indeed. Though it is arguable it would apply to a fixed worker being required to locate elsewhere. What does the contract say about this however, that is the most important starting point.
MitchT said:
akirk said:
I would doubt it if you are not working them - you still have the time off, even though it may be in another country
I suppose the argument is that you may be deprived of whatever you'd normally do on a weekend - spending time with family, playing sports with mates, etc. Personally I'd see it as a free holiday. agreed though, I think many people would choose a job like that for the travel opportunity...I did this for several years. No extra time off or pay in lieu, even when I had Sunday meetings in the Middle East, and had to travel either daytime or overnight Saturday to make them. Although as indicated by a previous poster I was one of those with a salary to compensate.
That said, I was senior enough that after a hard few weeks I would "work from home" the odd Friday. Still fully available on phone and email, just not doing much proactive stuff. No-one cared as long as my overall performance was up to scratch.
And for my juniors, if they had worked unusual hours for a specific client, or had to cancel holidays/work over bank holidays, I would always stand up to the staffers and get them the days in lieu. Sort of the same as my "working from home".
That said, I was senior enough that after a hard few weeks I would "work from home" the odd Friday. Still fully available on phone and email, just not doing much proactive stuff. No-one cared as long as my overall performance was up to scratch.
And for my juniors, if they had worked unusual hours for a specific client, or had to cancel holidays/work over bank holidays, I would always stand up to the staffers and get them the days in lieu. Sort of the same as my "working from home".
Sheepshanks said:
Mate of mine worked for Shell in the haydays and he was paid from the moment he left home until he arrived back again. He used to love travelling for work!
My late Grandfather used to travel a lot for work and was paid travelling time, including all the way to Montevideo by boat!Lots of bulls
t in this thread, Time spent travelling or time spent abroad count as working time.https://www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours/ca...
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