FAQs
Compensable Travel Time
These are the questions that HR has received in the past.
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I have a staff member who went to a conference this week and traveled by plane yesterday to return home. Her plane got delayed and she did not arrive home until 8:30 p.m. If she normally works 8-5 does she get to claim 3.50 as additional hours worked?
If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.
For example, your normal work schedule is 8 – 5 Monday – Friday. You can claim work time for travel between 8 – 5 any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday.
The additional 3.5 hours would not be claimed.
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How are we to enter time when a staff member is on overnight travel? How are they to enter this time since it goes over 8 hours (overnight)? Do they enter time normally as if they were in the office?
Yes, they would enter their time normally as if they were in the office. If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.
For example, your normal work schedule is 8 – 5 Monday – Friday. You can claim work time for travel between 8 – 5 any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday.
The employee cannot claim any hours outside of those in the example unless they were actually working those hours.
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My normal work hours are 8-5 Monday through Friday. My normal commute to work is 30 minutes, so I leave my home at 7:30 every day. I had a Worker’s Comp hearing in north Austin and left my home at 6:30 a.m. to be there by 8. I returned to the office around 10:30. How do I report this?
The employee is replacing their normal work/duty station for the day. In this manner, the trip to N. Austin is their daily commute. The extra driving time is non-compensable.
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My normal work hours are 8-5 Monday through Friday. My normal commute to work is 30 minutes, so I leave my home at 7:30 every day. Today I went to a Worker’s Comp related doctor’s appointment in Austin, had to leave my home at 6:30 for my 8am appointment, and returned to the office at 10:15. I will work until 5:00 today. How do I report that time since it will be over 8 hours?
Normal commuting travel is non-compensable. The remainder of the work day is compensable. As part of the doctor’s appointment you can claim sick leave.
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Would you please let me know how we need to report our time when we travel on a weekend to a site where we need to meet for business the next day? Do we report that time? If so, how do we determine the number of hours?
If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.
For example, your normal work schedule is 8 – 5 Monday – Friday. You can claim work time for travel between 8 – 5 any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday.
Exception For Driving – If you are going to be out of town more than one day and you are driving, the drive time from portal to portal is considered compensable time. Co-workers riding as passengers are not eligible for the driving exception unless they are actually working.
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An employee traveled to Dallas for a workshop. The employee left on Sunday to prepare for training on Monday morning. However, the employee is attempting to report the travel time as 8 hours, but did not have to work the entire day; only travel. Should this be adjusted to only the timeframe the employee was traveling?
If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.
For example, your normal work schedule is 8 – 5 Monday – Friday. You can claim work time for travel between 8 – 5 any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday. Yes, adjust only the timeframe the employee was traveling during these hours, as appropriate.
Exception For Driving – If you are going to be out of town more than one day and you are driving, the drive time from portal to portal is considered compensable time. Co-workers riding as passengers are not eligible for the driving exception unless they are actually working.
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I was at a conference last Thursday-Saturday. Could you tell me the appropriate way to record time while at a conference, on a Saturday?
Record Saturday for time spent at the conference during the day as specified by the conference agenda as normal work hours. Attendance at social events (such as happy or networking hours) outside of the conference agenda is not compensable time.
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I have an employee who traveled to Corpus Christi and wants to count the travel time to and from as comp time, is this appropriate?
If the employee is driving then all of the time spent driving is compensable. Otherwise, travel time outside of those regular working hours is non-compensable. If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time. Co-workers riding as passenger(s) are not eligible for the driving exception unless they are actually working.
For example, your normal work schedule is 8 – 5 Monday – Friday. You can claim work time for travel between 8 – 5 any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday.
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If I am traveling by car to an out of town conference and stop for lunch is the lunch time compensable time?
No, if you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time. Meal periods are not compensable.
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If attending an all-day conference or training class at a location other than campus, is the drive time to the training, the lunch period and cost and the drive time back home considered work time and is the mileage and food cost covered?
For a one-day conference, the employee is replacing their normal commute for the travel to/from the conference. Such time is non-compensable. The mileage and food cost is subject to the institution’s reimbursement policies.
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I am driving to a training class in north Austin; required to leave house at 6:00 am and will sit in traffic for 2 hours before arriving at destination. Travel home requires the same period of time due to traffic congestion and I will not arrive home until after 7pm. Is all that time considered work time?
That is considered the normal commute time for the day and is non-compensable. The employee is replacing their normal commute for the travel to/from the conference. Such time is non-compensable.
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If an off campus training class only runs until 3:00, will the remaining 2 hours be considered work time? If so, can I also claim the travel time as work time?
No the remaining two hours are not considered work time if you are not doing work related activities. Normal commute time is non compensable.
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I leave for an out of town conference on a Sunday at 3 pm. My normal work schedule is M-F; 8-5. I am not driving but using 3 hours of my "day off" time to get to the destination and arriving 1 hour after what would be the end of my normal day. Is the Sunday 3 hour period considered work time since I am doing this on a day I should not be required to work?
If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.
Logging Work Time
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When is conference or training attendance considered work time?
Overtime rules for conferences and training:
The FLSA provides guidance related to attendance at conferences and training events. This guidance is summarized below.
Time need not be counted as hours worked if all of the criteria listed here are met:
- Attendance is outside the employee’s regular work hours.
- Attendance is voluntary.
- The course, lecture, meeting is not directly related to the employee’s job.
- The employee does no productive work while in attendance.
If these criteria are not met the time spent in attendance at a training event, conference or workshop is considered compensable time.
Remember, training that is 1) involuntary, 2) related to the employee’s job, 3) during regular working hours, or is 4) productive is considered compensable work time.
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How to compensate travel time?
Travel time is generally compensable during regular working hours on work days and during regular working hours on weekends. We have a compensable travel time chart available for your reference under additional resources.
Job Audits
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What is the difference between a promotion and a classification?
A reclassification is a technical adjustment of a position’s title to ensure that the job title adequately describes the job duties and responsibilities performed by the employee. A reclassification requires a job audit from Human Resources to determine the appropriate job title for the assigned duties and responsibilities. An audit also ascertains the appropriate FLSA overtime status and EEO category.
A promotion does not require an audit and is based on merit and an employee’s performance. A promotion can occur when the department has a vacant position to promote an employee into. Occasionally an audit is needed to create a new position into which the department can promote an employee.
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What documents are needed to request a job audit?
HR needs a requisition sent through administrative channels via the EASY system. The requesting department needs to add the organizational chart, job analysis form, and justification memo to the requisition. Once the requisition and attachments are received by HR the audit is placed on our schedule. Audits are handled in the order in which they are received.
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When will my job audit be complete?
HR attempts to complete audits as soon as possible, but due to work load and audit volume we anticipate 2 to 3 work weeks after receipt of all of the required documentation. Audits are handled in the order received. Currently HR is completing most audits within 5-6 work days.
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What does it mean if the VP and Budget office approve the job audit?
Every requisition that is sent through administrative channels for a job audit must be approved by the appropriate vice president and the budget office.
The vice president approves the audit request. The budget office approves funding for the audit result, either for the new position or to fund any proposed increase as the result of a reclassification audit.
Position Description Updates
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Have questions about the 2024 Position Description Update project?
Please review the FAQ section on the Position Description Update webpage.