Skip to main content
Human Resources

Off-Site Activities and Travel Time for Non-Exempt Staff Employees Procedures

When authorizing a non-exempt (hourly) staff employee to participate in off-site work activities, managers should always clarify in advance with the employee what is paid work time, and what is not.

Off-Site Activities Time

For non-exempt staff employees, required attendance at off-site trainings or other work activities (e.g. meetings, workshops, seminars, conferences, conventions, etc.) is considered paid work time, which must be recorded on their timesheet on the days and times worked.

Break Periods

Regular meal period time at training activities is not counted as time worked if the meal period is 30 minutes or longer and the employee is relieved of all work duties. If the meal period at a work activity or training includes a keynote speaker, presentations, work discussions, etc., it is typically considered work time that should be paid. Breaks during training activities of 20 minutes or less are considered paid work time. Time spent participating in social or after-hours networking activities, when not required, is generally not paid.

Chaperone Duties

Employees serving as a chaperone for student activities should be paid for any time spent performing required work responsibilities, which may include acting as a tour guide, ensuring all students get checked in to a hotel, attendance at required activities, or managing student emergencies.

Chaperones for student activities would generally not be paid for any free time where they are completely relieved of their work duties or for time spent accompanying students at activities where it is the employee’s choice to attend.

Voluntary Activities

Time spent attending and traveling to and from voluntary activities is not considered paid work time and need not be compensated, but only if all of the following conditions are met:

1. Attendance is not required by the employer, and the employee is not led to believe that his or her present working conditions or the continuance of employment would be adversely affected by nonattendance;

2. The training activity is not directly related to the employee’s job or specifically designed to make the employee more effective in his or her present position;

3. The employee performs no work related to their job while attending the training activity; and

4. Attendance takes place outside of the employees' regular work hours or while the employee is using approved vacation time.

Travel Time

Travel time for non-exempt staff employees is considered paid work time when it is part of the employee's principal activity during the working day, such as travel from one job site to another. Ordinary home-to-work and work-to-home travel time at the beginning and end of a workday is not considered paid work time.

While traveling, meal periods are generally not counted as time worked if the meal period is 30 minutes or longer and the employee is relieved of all work duties.

Time spent driving other employees to/from work activities is always considered paid work time, regardless of the day or time of day.

When travel time is considered paid work time, it will be counted toward the employee’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) average hours. Additionally, paid travel time is counted toward the employee’s regular work hours for that workweek that are subject to overtime regulations (i.e., if the travel time causes the employee’s total work hours to exceed 40 within any given workweek, the employee must be paid the time-and-a-half overtime rate for all time in excess of the 40 hours).

One-Day Assignments

For one-day assignments in another city or alternate work location, most of the hours spent traveling and working are considered work time. Time usually spent getting from home to the employee’s regular work location and back may be deducted.

Assignments Away from Home

For travel that keeps an employee away from home overnight, the following considerations apply:

  • Travel time, including time spent at an airport awaiting a flight or during any layovers, is considered paid work time when it cuts across the employees regularly scheduled workday hours. This includes travel time on the employee's non-working days (e.g. Saturday or Sunday) which occur during hours that correspond with his or her regular working hours.
  • Travel time away from home that occurs outside of regular working hours is typically not considered work time.
  • In the rare case of an employee having no regularly scheduled work hours, the manager and employee may negotiate and agree to a reasonable amount of time or timeframe over which travel time would be paid.
  • Periods when the employee is completely relieved of duty and is free to come and go and use the time as he or she pleases are not included as work time. This may include social activities, tours, leisure time spent in hotel rooms, etc.

To see the university policy to which these procedures are associated, please click here.

 

Last updated:  March 17, 2026