Company I work for contracted a job out of our county, 1 1/2 hours away to be exact. Is the employer responsible for room and meals? We were told that if we did not go that we would be laid off. >E-mail Removed< Thank You

Hello c:

We don't do email.. In my view, your employer is liable to pay you from the moment you begin your trip, till the moment you get back to town. If the job takes LONGER than 8 hours INCLUDING drive time, you should get time and a half for anything over 8 hours. If you're taking your OWN transportation, I'd submit an expense account for the actual cost of gas.. No, you wouldn't be entitled to meals, because you have to eat anyway, and you shouldn't have to stay overnight. If you do, of course your employer should pay for it. Add it to the expense report..

I wouldn't question them before you went. I'd just bill them when I got back.. If they DON'T pay you, we'll cross that bridge when we get there..

Is there stuff that I need to know that would CHANGE what I said?

excon

Safety in numbers. Get every single other person (how many?) together to fight for room and board away from home.
Are you actual W-2 wage employees, not on 1099s?
Are you usually sent to different job sites like this, only closer?
excon, I disagree that he should wait until he gets back...

Hello joy:


I disagree that he should wait until he gets back... He was told that if he DIDN'T go, he'd be laid off. If he questions the payments BEFORE he goes, and there AREN'T any, he'll probably be laid off because he questioned them.. At least if he GOES, and they don't pay, he'll have earned the time AND the expenses and can recover them in court if need be...

Look.. The bottom line is IF this company is trying to CHEAT its employees (and he DID say he "worked" for them), he's in a no win situation. I'm just trying to make him the MOST out of it.

It's really a toss up, though... Your way is an excellent way to go too.

Excon

If he gets laid off at least he can collect UI.
But will have to wait until at least late spring for more work...
If he goes, he puts maybe another 500 miles a week on his car, maybe 20 gal week, @ 3.60 = $72. He puts in about 10 extra hours a week.
I don't know.. maybe being January in a recession still, they should take their lumps and carpool from some parking lot on the way there, come home each night, get cheap eats on the road, and TRY to get something for gas...

1 1/2 hour drive is not really that far, so I don't see over night payment But they should be paying milage or transportation from their current office to work place, if you normally work at one location.
If you normally travel to various locations around the area, then a distance has to be decided.

I will be honest when I used to live in the US, in Atlanta, most people drive at least one hour to work every day, so I am sorry if driving 1 1/2 hours to get to work does not seem like any real issue to me.

Actually it is a 4 hour drive one way.

The use of our vehicles is not a problem as we are using a company vehicle. We do not get paid over time for over 8 hours. We get paid over time for 40+. This job is really needed to support the family but the time away with 3 little ones and having to eat out is really hurting. The owner knows that everyone is hurting and is taking advantage of it.

Now I'm confused - it was 1-1/2 hours away, people answered, now it's 4 hours away. Which is it?