No, we don’t mean getting to and from work. But if you travel as part of your work, you earn money for that time. So be sure to check your payslip!
Picture it: Travelling to work in the morning or home in the evening isn’t part of your paid job time, but anything you do in your work shift is. Are you getting paid correctly? A lot of people don’t know their rights. For example, in a recent poll, over a third (39%) of people didn’t know they could get National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for the time spent travelling between assignments in their job.
Some examples of travelling that count part of your paid work time include:
- Going to a different site (e.g. trade or construction work)
- Going to different restaurants (e.g. catering work)
- Going to weddings or special occasions, or travelling to customers (e.g. if you’re being outsourced as a hairdresser)
- Going to different nurseries if you’re nursery staff
- Going to different care homes if you’re a careworker
Always check your payslip to make sure you’re paid correctly for work you do. That includes work-based travel during work hours.
Young people especially might not know that they have the right to be paid for any work-based travel they do, especially if they’re paid by the hour.
Always check your payslip to make sure your payment is up to scratch. If you work in the Cleaning, Catering, Hairdressing, Hospitality, Caring, Employment, Childcare and Retail sectors, you might be especially at risk of getting underpaid.
What to do if you have been underpaid:
- Talk to your employer. Check they haven’t made a mistake, and check they know your rights.
- Got to the ACAS helpline on 0300 123 1100 for some advice.
- Log in a complaint online with HRMC.
YES, you’re owed money for work-based travel. So always check your payslip if you’re not sure you’re getting paid your full dues. From 6 April 2019, every worker has a right to receive a payslip so they can check their pay!
For more information visit: www.gov.uk/checkyourpay
