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Travel Time Pay Rules in California (2024): The Ultimate Guide

Posted January 31, 2020 by lewislaw & filed under Employment Law Articles .

Last Updated:

• January 18, 2024

A comprehensive guide to travel time pay rules in California —when employees are entitled to be paid for travel time and how to recover those lost wages.

Unpaid travel time can exceed over $100,000 in lost wages, interest and penalties.

Find out how much of your travel time should be paid and how you can recover it.

Article Contents:

Section #1: types of travel time that should be paid, types of travel time that should be paid.

• Time when you actually perform work (i.e. sending email, making phone calls, etc.); OR
• Time when you do not actually perform work (and might even be doing personal things like checking the internet, texting and making personal calls), but when your employer exercises enough control over you that the law considers it working time.

When is an employee considered to be "Performing Work"?

Unlike John, however, Mary is required, on her way to work, to drive to a secure storage facility to pick up the tools she will use for that day. On the way home from work, she is required to return to the storage facility to unload the tools, clean them, and make sure they are locked up for the night. 

Mary is entitled to be compensated for the time spent loading, unloading, and cleaning the tools, as well as for the time she spends traveling between the storage facility and company headquarters. This is because these activities add time and exertion beyond what her normal commute would require. In other words, she is performing actual work for her employer during that time.

When is an employee “subject to control” of the employer?

Many legal cases considering whether an employee should be paid for travel time focus on the issue of whether the employee was “subject to the control” of the employer during the travel time. The key question is what does your employer require you to do?

• Does your employer require you to travel to work in a company vehicle?
• Does your employer require to follow certain when traveling to or returning from work each day?

Examples where the employee should be paid for travel time

• When the employer provides transportation to a jobsite (example: a bus) and requires that employees only use that form of transportation to get to work.
• When the employee has already reported to the worksite at the beginning of a shift and then the employer instructs the employee to travel to other locations.
• When the employee is required to engage in overnight travel (for example, if the employee is required to take an airplane to attend a conference in another state, the employee must be compensated for time traveling, as well as time spent checking bags, going through security screening, etc.).

Examples where the employee is not entitled to be paid for travel time

• When the employee is making the normal commute between home and work.
• When the employer provides transportation to a jobsite (example: a bus or company van) but does not require that employees use of that mode of transportation to arrive at the job.
• When, during required overnight travel, the employee takes time to do personal things like go out to dinner, go sight-seeing, or sleep.

[ return to top ] 

Section #2: When Should You Be Paid For Travel Time?

When should you be paid for travel time.

Travel when overnight stay is required

• Conferences
• Sales meetings
• Continuing education requirements

From the Law:

Travel from one workplace to another in the same day, travel from home to work when there is no fixed workplace, if you are required to report to a work location that is farther away than your normal work location., if you have no fixed job site and are required to travel an unreasonable distance to get to work., travel from home to work in a work vehicle, travel when you work from home (virtual or remote employees).

More than 8 million people now work exclusively from home. In California nearly 6% of workers work from home , a percentage that almost doubles when you look at some locations in the San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles areas.

Section #3: How Much Should You Be Paid for Travel Time?

How much should you be paid for travel time.

You must be paid at least minimum wage or your regular hourly rate for travel time.

Employers can pay a lower hourly rate for travel time..

• Provide you notice prior to the travel time.
• Separately track your travel time.
• Separately list your travel time, including the total hours traveled and your travel time rate on each pay stub.

Section #4: How to Calculate Your Travel Time Pay

How to calculate your travel time pay.

Calculating your travel time pay

How to calculate overtime (based on travel hours), reimbursement for travel expenses (mileage), section #5: how to recover your travel time pay, how to recover your travel time pay.

There are strict time limits for recovering your unpaid travel time

Recovering travel time pay while you are still working at the company.

• Discrimination
• Retaliation
• Firing/Termination
• Reduction in Pay
• Reassignment of Position
• Other Adverse Employment Actions

Recovering travel time pay if you do not want to file a lawsuit

Section #6: choosing the right attorney, choosing the right attorney.

Questions You Can Use to Interview Attorneys

• Do you practice employment law?
• What is your level of experience dealing with travel time cases?
• Have you had favorable outcomes? (Most attorneys will be able to answer this question. But they might not be able to tell you how much they have won in these types of cases if there is a confidentiality agreement in place. Attorneys are obligated to keep confidential settlements confidential.)
• What do you think is the best strategy for handling my case keeping in mind my goals? (tell the attorney about your goals for resolving the case)
• How long will it take to resolve my case?
• What is your fee structure?
• What does your fee include and exclude?

After speaking with the attorney, consider the following questions:

• Was the attorney responsive?
• Did the attorney answer your questions?
• Did the attorney inspire confidence in you that he or she knew the subject matter?
• Is the attorney someone you feel you can trust?

Section #7: Hire an Experienced Travel Time Pay Attorney

Hire an experienced travel time pay attorney.

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• California Break Laws and Calculating Travel Time

Counting and Recording Hours of Work: Travel Time, Overtime & More

A variety of California and federal laws govern your counting and recording of employees' working hours and compensation. Under certain circumstances "working hours" may include such activities as travel time and education/training time.

Common Mistake

• Not paying required overtime premiums.

Workdays and Workweeks Defined

Having a clearly defined workday and workweek is important because it affects your overtime obligations to employees.

Best Practices

• Once you define a workday and workweek, stay consistent.
• Familiarize yourself with the "seventh-day" overtime rule.

Hours of Work Limitations

Various federal and state requirements impose limitations on work hours. HRCalifornia can help you determine which to follow when federal and state regulations conflict.

Rest Breaks and Meal Periods

You have certain legal requirements regarding employee meal and rest breaks in California.

Piece Rate Workers

California employers must pay piece rate workers for rest and recovery periods and other non-productive time at specified minimum hourly rates, separate from the piece rate compensation.

Paid Non-working Time Overview in California

There are times when you need to pay a nonexempt employee for time not spent working. If you pay a special rate for travel time, or other special circumstances, you must establish and communicate the rate to employees in advance of the event. The amount and duration depend on what the employee is doing during that time.

Travel Time Pay

Under certain circumstances, you may be required to pay your employees for their travel time.

Pay For Education and Training Time

If you require employees to attend lectures, work courses, employer-sponsored training programs, or employee meetings, you must count that time as hours worked for pay purposes.

Makeup Time Pay

Makeup time allows an employee to request time off for a personal obligation and make up the time without receiving overtime pay. Under certain conditions, you may allow makeup time, upon request from an employee, but you are not obligated to do so.

Compensatory Time Off

Private employers subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are forbidden from offering compensatory time off (CTO) in lieu of paying overtime wages.

Time Keeping and Recording

You must maintain an accurate record of employees' hours of work and compensation. Failure to do so may force you to disprove what an employee claims to have been his/her actual work hours.

Time Keeping Exceptions for Specific Industries

Due to the operational needs of certain industries, the California Labor Code and Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) Wage Orders allow for specific variations in how hours of work are recorded, how records are maintained, and how certain types of hours are treated for pay purposes.

Working Hours for Minors

California and federal labor laws place certain limitations on the number of hours minors may work, as well as the spread of those hours, depending on the worker's age, the industry and the season of the year. Extended working hours may be allowed under certain circumstances.

Related Resources

CalChamber members have access to several tools and services that help those who manage human resources to work through counting and recording work hours issues, including:

Meal and Rest Break Quiz » How much do you know about meal and rest breaks? Use this quiz to test your knowledge.

Meal and Rest Periods Policy » Use this policy to remind employees of legally required meal and rest breaks to ensure employees understand that your obligations to provide such breaks are met.

Meal Break Waiver » Use this form when you have a nonexempt worker who will work a shift of six hours or less and both you and the worker wish to waive the required 30-minute meal break.

Meal Break Waiver - Second Meal » Use this form when you have a nonexempt worker whose shift will be more than 10 hours but less than 12 hours, the worker has not waived his first meal break, and both you and the worker wish to waive the second required 30-minute meal break.

Alternative Workweek Calendar » You can use this calendar as an example of an alternative workweek schedule, noting the restrictions associated with alternative workweeks.

Makeup Time Checklist » If you are considering a makeup time policy for your employees, use this checklist before implementing the policy to make sure you are covering all the key issues.

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Posted on September 26, 2023

“Travel Time” in California – 5 Key Things to Know

In California, travel time is when your employer requires you to be at a designated place and controls how you get there . Because of this control, travel time is compensable in California. It often occurs when your employer makes you go from one worksite to another , or use the employer’s transportation from a designated meet-up spot.

Five key things to know about travel time are:

• it does not cover your normal commute ,
• it has to be at least the minimum wage ,
• it can result in overtime pay ,
• California laws are more generous to workers than federal law, and
• you may also get mileage reimbursement .

1. Travel time does not cover your normal commute

Under California law, your “ hours worked ” are those that your employer either:

• suffered or permitted you to work, or
• subjected you to the employer’s control. [1]

California courts have ruled that this does not cover your normal commute to and from your work location. You can choose how to commute and can do purely personal pursuits on the way to or from the job site. Therefore, there is insufficient control exerted by your employer to make it compensable time. [2]

However, there are some circumstances where your employer exerts enough control to change your commute time and entitle you to employee travel time.

For example : Raymond is a farm worker. His employer requires him to drive to a parking lot and then to take the employer’s bus to the work site. The portion of Raymond’s commute in the bus is compensable travel time because he is under the control of the employer. [3]

2. Travel time pay has to be at least the minimum wage

California labor law requires all of your hours worked to be compensated with at least the minimum wage . This includes your travel time .

If your employment agreement does not specify your travel time pay, then it must be paid at your regular rate of pay . However, many employers specify a lesser hourly rate for travel time. So long as this different rate is at or above the minimum wage, it is allowed.

3. It can add work hours and entitle you to overtime pay

If you are a nonexempt worker , the hours you work in travel time can put you over the daily or weekly limit and entitle you to overtime pay .

California’s wage and hour laws protect nonexempt employees. They are entitled to:

• meal periods and rest breaks , and
• overtime pay.

That overtime pay is one-and-a-half, or 1.5, times your regular rate of pay . You get this higher rate of pay for every hour you work in excess of:

• 8 hours in a workday,
• 40 hours in a workweek , or
• 6 consecutive days in the workweek. [4]

You can also be entitled to double-time pay , or twice your regular rate of pay , for hours worked more than :

• 12 hours in a single workday, or
• 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day of a workweek. [5]

Because travel time is “hours worked,” it can push you over these limits and entitle you to the applicable overtime rate. Many workers do not realize how easily travel time can add to the number of their regular work hours.

4. California law is more generous than federal employment law

California employment law is more generous than federal law regarding travel time. Regulations for the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) define “ work time ” as when you are “ suffered or permitted ” to work. [6] The extent of your employer’s control over you is not a factor under federal law.

This means that circumstances where your employer is controlling you but you cannot work would not be compensable under federal law. This makes it less likely that you would be entitled to travel pay under federal law.

5. Work-related travel can also entitle you to a mileage reimbursement

If you use  your own transportation or personal vehicle during travel time, you may also be entitled to mileage reimbursement in California.

State law requires California employers to cover their employee’s expenses during employer-required travel. [7] This includes reimbursing you for your:

• gasoline costs,
• vehicle depreciation from normal wear and tear,
• car maintenance and repair costs,
• fees for vehicle registration, and
• auto insurance.

Your employer must have a valid means or method of determining the amount of these reimbursements. [8] Many companies use the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) reimbursement rates for travel expenses.

What can I do if my employer is not paying me travel time pay?

If your employer is not paying you for your travel time, you can file a wage and hour claim . This can recover your unpaid wages, plus interest and attorney’s fees and court costs. It can be filed as a lawsuit or as a claim with the Labor Commissioner at the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).

Legal References:

[1] 8 California Code of Regulations (CCR) 11040(2)(K) (also known as the Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) Wage Order No. 4-2001 ).

[2] Morillion v. Royal Packing Co. , 22 Cal.4th 575 (2000) .

[4] California Labor Code 510 LAB.

[6] 29 CFR 785.11.

[7] California Labor Code 2802 LAB.

[8] Gattuso v. Harte-Hanks Shoppers, Inc., 42 Cal.4th 554 (2007) .

About the Author

Neil shouse.

A former Los Angeles prosecutor, attorney Neil Shouse graduated with honors from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School (and completed additional graduate studies at MIT). He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, The Today Show and Court TV. Mr Shouse has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Criminal and Top 100 Civil Attorneys.

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Travel Time in California: A Must-Know Guide for Employers

Take control of California’s time, overtime, and break laws using Timeero.

Understanding travel time pay in California is essential for employers. It involves complex rules and regulations that affect how you compensate your employees, manage your operations, and protect your bottom line. Get it wrong, and you risk costly lawsuits and unhappy employees, not to mention inefficient practices that will eat into your profit.

So, let’s get it clear from the get-go: Is travel time paid in California?

A short answer is yes, but you should know that not all travel counts. 

To avoid the pitfalls of failing to comply with legal requirements, you should familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of travel time pay and mileage reimbursement in California.

Our guide is here to explain the concept of travel time pay, how it differs from regular pay, and what California state law stipulates. 

We’ll also provide some practical tips on calculating California travel time pay and mileage reimbursement accurately and fairly.

Overview of California Labor Laws Related to Travel Time

When enforcing travel time pay, the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) pays a lot of attention to detail. 

The DLSE guidelines specify when you must compensate your employees for travel time, whether running a local errand or going on an out-of-state business trip. 

Remember that if you overlook these directives, you can risk your company financially and reputationally. Ignoring DLSE’s well-outlined norms can open you up to legal complications, including penalties that could negatively impact your bottom line. 

So, what are the rules you need to follow?

What Constitutes “Hours Worked” in California

In California employment law, “hours worked” is crucial in defining compensable time, including travel time. It includes:

• Time actively spent performing work-related tasks , such as sending emails, making phone calls, or visiting clients.
• The time when employees aren’t directly involved in work but remain under sufficient control of the employer , to the extent that the law considers it is working time. This usually means they’re not free to follow purely personal pursuits during that time.

Specific Rules Governing California Travel Time Pay

• Using employer’s vehicle. The time spent traveling is compensable if an employee has to use the company vehicle for work purposes.
• Carrying employer tools. If an employee transports tools or equipment for their employer, adding time and effort beyond the usual commute, that extra time must be paid.
• Alternate worksite reporting. If an employer requires an employee to travel to a different job site on a short-term basis, which involves more than a minor distance, this travel time must be compensated.
• Special circumstances. Activities like education and training time may also count as “working hours” under certain conditions.
• Special rates. If an employer decides to pay a special rate for travel time, they must establish and inform employees about this rate in advance.
• Advance notice and minimum wage. Employees must be informed of the travel rate in advance, and this rate cannot fall below the minimum wage.

When Does Travel Time Require Pay in California?

To better explain the issue, let’s discuss a couple of examples in which employees are entitled to travel time pay under California law: 

• If your employees are making trips during work hours for business-related tasks — for instance, shuttling between different office locations or running errands for supplies, those hours are generally compensable.
• You must reimburse the travel time when an employee travels out of town for a business event and returns the same workday. However, note that the usual commute time to the regular workplace and back to the employee’s home can be excluded from this calculation.
• If employees are required to stay overnight for business purposes, the rules become more complex. Generally speaking, the time spent traveling during regular working hours is compensable. However, the same doesn’t apply to the time at the destination unless it’s spent working. 
• If travel is a central part of the employee’s job (think sales representatives or delivery drivers), almost all the time spent traveling during work hours is compensable, including wait time at airports or other transit hubs.
• Mandatory attendance at training sessions or conferences also requires compensation for travel time. If the event is outside of regular work hours, but attendance is compulsory, you must also reimburse your employees for travel time.

For example, if Sarah, a sales rep, has to drive from her regular work location to a client’s office in the middle of the day, that time is compensable. If she’s flying out for a multi-day conference, the time spent in transit could be considered work hours, depending on various factors. The rules around this scenario might differ and involve considerations such as meals and lodging.

Differentiating Between the Everyday Commute and Compensable Travel Time 

Understanding the fine line between commute time and work-related travel is critical to avoiding legal complications.

Your employees’ normal commute to and from the regular worksite is generally off your tab. In other words, you’re not required to reimburse your employees for the time they spend commuting between their homes and their regular worksites.     

However, certain situations turn the usual commute into compensable work time.

• Employer-provided transportation. If an employee must come to a determined place and use the employer’s transportation to and from the worksite, that travel time is compensable under California law.
• Restrictions on personal transportation. If employees aren’t allowed to use their own transportation and must use the employer’s, then the time is also considered work time that must be compensated.

The Morillion v. Royal Packing Co. case is crucial for understanding the travel time pay in California. The court held that the employees who had to travel on the employer-provided buses were entitled to compensation for their travel time since they were subject to the employer’s control and could not use that time for their own purposes. This case has important implications for defining what constitutes compensable work hours under the law.

Travel Time Pay and Mileage Reimbursement in California

If an employee’s job description requires using their personal vehicle for work-related activities, according to the California Labor Code Section 2802 , employers have to reimburse them. This is not just for fuel expenses but also includes factors like vehicle wear and tear.

Moreover, the right to mileage reimbursement is non-waivable. So, what does this mean for you? 

Simply put, even if your employment contract states that employees waive their rights to mileage reimbursement, this provision is void in a court of law.

Although many employers rely on the IRS standard mileage rate for calculating reimbursements, it’s important to note that this is not a one-size-fits-all solution. 

If an employee can prove that their actual expenses have exceeded this rate, you must cover the difference.

The risks of not abiding by these rules are far from trivial. Failure to adequately reimburse employees can result in wage and hour lawsuits, a situation no employer wants to find themselves in. 

A reliable mileage tracking solution , such as Timeero, can help you accurately track and adequately reimburse your employees for business mileage.

Legal Must-Dos and Best Practices for California Employers

To that end, let’s explore legal must-dos and best practices that can serve as your guiding compass.

Advanced time and mileage tracking

To stay compliant with California labor laws , consider using one of the best employee GPS time and mileage tracking software designed with precision in mind. Such a tool won’t only automate what could be an error-prone manual process but also provide airtight records should any legal problems arise. Trust us, robust software is a worthwhile investment.

Up-to-date policies

Your employee handbook isn’t just a document; it’s your legal shield. Make sure it’s always updated with the latest company travel policy and mileage reimbursement policy . 

This will keep your team informed and serve as your first line of defense in case of disputes or inquiries.

Regular audits

You shouldn’t wait to find yourself in legal trouble to examine your processes. Regular audits can serve as a preventative measure, offering a clear insight into any discrepancies that could snowball into serious legal issues. Think of it as your business health check-up.

Expert consultation

Regulatory changes sometimes happen without much notice. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to consult legal experts who specialize in California labor law . Remember, preemptive legal advice is often much more affordable than dealing with potential litigation or lawsuits.

How Can Timeero Help Employers Stay Compliant With California Travel Time?

Compliance with California’s travel time regulations is easier than you think, thanks to Timeero. 

Our comprehensive software offers a range of features designed to keep you in line with 

California state laws effortlessly.

Time Tracking

The crucial concept in California travel time pay is the concept of “hours worked.” Any compliance with the law must start there.

Timeero offers precise time-tracking functionalities that comply with California laws, capturing details of your employees’ work hours to ensure fair compensation.

All your employees need to do is download a mobile app on their phones and clock in when their workday begins. The app will keep track of all their work-related activities and automatically create time cards with the clock in and out time and the total number of hours worked. 

As the app tracks time during working hours only, the hours worked will also include employee travel time. 

Timeero software comes with an option to set a different hourly rate for the jobs you create, giving you flexibility around the travel time rate.

Mileage Tracking

But Timeero’s usability for compensating your workers’ travel expenses doesn’t end there. 

When employees use their own vehicles for work-related tasks, accurate mileage tracking is essential for reimbursement, in line with California Labor Code Section 2802. Timeero facilitates this with its powerful tracking features.

When it recognizes driving, the Timeero mobile app automatically starts tracking employees’ mileage and routes, capturing precise data for accurate reimbursement.

You can also use the app to replay employees’ routes and compare their actual routes with the shortest routes to their destinations.

Segmented Tracking

To provide a clearer view of how employee time is spent during work hours, Timeero offers segmented tracking capabilities. This visual timeline and data gathered can be especially useful in the context of California’s nuanced labor laws around travel time.

Segmented tracking will give you a quick overview of your employee’s travel time vs. time spent on site. If there are any potential issues when it comes to excessive travel time or mileage, you will be able to spot them right away.

California Overtime Settings

Timeero includes settings specifically designed for tracking California-specific overtime and double-time hours , helping you maintain compliance with state labor laws.

You can choose the California Overtime Rules feature in the company settings, set the overtime rate, and have the exact payroll data ready when the next paycheck is due.

California Breaks

During their working hours, non-exempt employees in California are mandated to use their breaks. Not providing them with breaks leads to premium pay and potential legal and financial penalties.

Timeero includes a California Breaks Tracker feature that helps you ensure compliance with California meal and rest break laws , further reducing the risk of labor law violations.

With this feature, your California workers must complete the Daily Sign-off form before clocking out from their shifts. This way, they will verify whether they’ve used their breaks in a way that is compliant with California breaks law. Timeero will also automatically alert you if there is a compliance issue.

Disclaimer: California laws are complex, so this article serves informational purposes only. Consult your legal team for personalized advice.

FAQ: Travel Time in California

Is it a law in california that you must be paid for travel time.

Yes, it’s a legal requirement. Failure to comply with the California Labor Code and DLSE guidelines on travel time pay can result in legal actions, including penalties and back pay.

How Many Hours Per Day Is Travel Time in California?

There’s no hard and fast rule for a “per day” cap on travel time. However, what counts as compensable hours varies based on travel, whether a special one-day assignment or an overnight trip. An accurate time-tracking tool is your best friend here.

How Much is Travel Pay in California?

In California, the rate for travel time pay is typically calculated at the employee’s regular rate of pay. But, in some cases, both sides may agree to a different rate for travel time before the travel takes place. The rate must be at least the minimum wage.

With Timeero, mastering California’s time, overtime, and break laws is a breeze.

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Travel Pay Laws in California: What Employees Need to Know

Sometimes our employers require us to travel for work-related purposes. But what aspects of employee travel are California employers required to pay for? Travel pay in California can be a confusing area of law, but the following overview can help you navigate the ins and outs of travel pay laws in the California workplace.

Understanding Travel Pay Laws in California

As a general rule, California employees are paid for all of their time spent working, and this includes time that an employee spends traveling for work. If an employee is eligible for overtime compensation, and the employee’s travel time puts him or her over the standard forty-hour work week, then the employee should be paid overtime compensation accordingly. Yet all employees know that their commute to and from work is generally not considered time they spend working. So at what point does the time an employee spends behind the wheel, on a subway or train, or in a taxi for work become compensable travel time?

• Compensable travel time must be considered hours worked.  If your employer controls you during the time you spend traveling, or you are permitted to work during travel time, then you should be compensated as these hours are considered hours worked.
• If travel is made on an employer-selected route.  If you travel along an employer-selected route, then you are under your employer’s control and should be compensated for the travel time.
• If travel is for the purpose of delivering work-related items.  If you are required to use your vehicle to deliver work-related items – such as tools to a worksite, or food to hungry customers at their homes – then the time traveled is considered hours worked and you should be paid for the travel time.
• Time spent getting to job functions may be compensable.  If you spend time getting to a meeting or conference that is work-related, it is likely compensable travel time. Similarly, time spent getting to an alternative worksite from your home, or to an airport or train station for work-related travel is usually compensable travel time.
• Reimbursement for work-related vehicle use.  Additionally, you should be reimbursed for wear and tear and mileage associated with work-related travel, under California Labor Code Section 2802.

Compensated travel time is important to employees who must travel for work. California employees must be notified of the travel rate in advance, and the travel rate cannot be less than minimum wage. Sometimes travel time is compensated at a different rate than normal hours worked, but employees who are eligible for compensated travel time should be paid accordingly under California law.

In conclusion, California employees who travel for work are often entitled to travel pay. If you believe that you should have received travel pay, but were not compensated by your employer, please consult with an experienced  California employment lawyer  regarding the matter. Get a free consultation today.

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• 6 Things You Need to Know About Travel Time Pay in California

Your employer told you to drive to a store in Los Angeles to buy some donuts during normal work hours. Are you going to get paid for that trip, and why? Today, we brought our Los Angeles employment law attorney Jeffrey Rager to spell out what is travel time pay, when you are eligible to receive it, how it is calculated, and whether travel time always equals business time.

Travel Time Vs Commuting Time: What Is The Difference

But before we delve into the topic, let’s make sure that you understand the difference between commuting time and travel time. The former refers to an employee’s personal time spent to commute back and forth from work to home, while travel time is time spent traveling by an employee for work-related activities.

Under California employment laws, travel time should be paid, and can be either local trips or travel away from home.

Are You Eligible For Travel Time Pay

You are eligible to receive pay for local travel time only if you are a non-exempt employee (meaning: you are employed on an hourly basis). Exempt employees, who are paid based on their performance and expertise, are not entitled to travel time pay.

For non-exempt employees, travel time – as well as education and training time – are classified as “working hours,” which means their employers are legally required to pay them for it.

For example, let’s get back to the situation we have mentioned in the very beginning. If you are asked by your employer or supervisor to drive to a store to pick up some items during normal work hours, you should be paid for your travel time.

Time Spent Traveling Away From Home

An employer in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California is required to compensate his employees for any time spent traveling away from home. Let’s say, for example, that your employer directs you to attend a two-day event in New York City. Since you will have to spend time traveling from Los Angeles to New York City, your employer should pay travel time.

Our Los Angeles wrongful termination lawyer at Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers explains that California employers are typically required to compensate their employee for spending any time that is under the employer’s control.

How To Calculate Travel Time Pay

Calculating travel time pay for salaried employees, who get paid bi-weekly or monthly, is not a problem, since they get paid regardless of the number of hours worked.

Hourly employees, meanwhile, should be paid on an hourly basis, which means travel time may not be as easy to calculate. It is highly advised to speak to an employment law attorney to find out whether or not travel time pay was calculated properly in your particular situation.

Is One-Day Or Overnight Stay Paid

If you have not been for a one-day or overnight stay, seek immediately legal advice of a lawyer. While hourly employees in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California are generally required to receive travel time pay in these situations, there are certain exceptions. That is why you should speak to an attorney to learn more.

Should Your Employer Compensate For Travel Expenses

Definitely. Travel time itself is not the only thing that an employer pays for. Travel expenses should be compensated by your employer, as employees can generally deduct unreimbursed travel expenses. In case you are traveling for both work-related activities and personal travel, you will have to keep separate checks for business-related expenses.

Calculating travel time pay and understanding employment laws is not the easiest task. That is why you are highly advised to get a free consultation from an experienced Los Angeles employment law attorney to determine whether or not your travel time pay is fair, or how to take legal action against an employer who does not pay for travel expenses.

Contact Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers for a free case evaluation. Call our Los Angeles offices at 310-527-6994 or fill out this contact form today.

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Travel Time Compensation in California

Posted By: SV Employment Law Firm on March 3, 2016

California law requires that employers pay employees for all hours worked. The term “hours worked,” however, is not all that simple to define or apply. The analysis is compounded when the hours worked are, for instance, part of the employee’s commute, consist of travel to a remote conference, or spent moving from client to client throughout the day. Once you conclude the time is “worked,” you must include those numbers in overtime calculations, and decide whether you want to pay travel at a different rate than the employee’s regular rate of pay.

What Constitutes Hours Worked For Purposes Of Compensation?

California Wage Orders (issued by the California Industrial Welfare Commission [the “IWC”]), define “hours worked” as “time during which an employee is subject to control of the employer, and includes all the time the employee is suffered or permitted to wor k, whether or not required to do so.” IWC Wage Order 4, Section 2K. Although the term “suffered or permitted” is included within the Order’s overall discussion of employer control, California courts have held that the tests for whether an employee was “controlled” or “suffered or permitted” to work can also be independent of each other. In other words, an employer is required to compensate for travel if the time falls into either or both categories. Morillion v. Royal Packing Co., 22 Cal. 4th 575, 583(2000).

An employee is “controlled” by the employer whenever the employer “directs, commands or restrains” an employee. Bono Enterprises, Inc. v. Bradshaw (1995) 32 Cal. App. 4th 968, 975 . “Suffered or permitted” to work refers to time worked where the employer knows the employee is working and does nothing to stop it, or when the employer possesses information from which such knowledge can be inferred, and that the employer “had reason to know” that the employee was performing work on its behalf.

Is Commute Time Ever Compensable?

Merriam-Webster defines the term “commute” as “to travel some distance between one’s home and place of work on a regular basis.” ( http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commute ). Whether commute time is compensable in part or whole depends on the mode and purpose of employer provided transportation, and whether use is mandated or voluntary. In other words, is the employer in control?

• Regular Commute: An employer is not required to compensate an employee for the time it takes him to go from his residence to his regular work site.
• Ridesharing: An employer is not required to compensate an employee for time spent in company provided transportation from a pick up point to the work site so long as participation is entirely voluntary. If, for instance, an employer provides a bus for workers that picks them up at a subway station and transports them to work but the employee could get there by using his own transportation; i.e., a car, bike, etc., the employer is not required to pay compensation.
• Employer Control of Travel: An employer is required to compensate an employee for time spent riding in or driving a company vehicle from his home or a central stop to the work site if the employer requires employees to reach their worksite on company provided transportation. For instance, Walt Disney’s employee lot was a hike (over a mile) from the employee entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Disney prohibited employees from parking close to the park and provided a mandatory shuttle service from the employee parking lot.

When is Business Travel Compensable?

• Off the Business Clock

Off-the-Clock work is work performed outside of regular business hours, or pre- or post-shift work may be compensable. For instance, in terms of travel time, certain tasks have been found to be compensable:

• Mandatory Remote Conferences and Meetings
• Taking the company controlled vehicle (bus, van, vehicle) where the employee cannot perform personal tasks (stopping to shop, dropping kids off at school, etc.)
• Waiting for the company vehicle where the use of the vehicle is mandatory.
• Commute time from residence to remote client or vendor locations that exceeds regular commute time (i.e., the delta between regular commute and additional time to reach remote site).
• Mapping routes to customer locations.

If an employee is required to attend an offsite conference or meeting, the time spent traveling to and from the meeting is compensable. Additionally, time spent in reaching the point of departure (i.e., travel from home to the airport) which is over and above the time spent in the employee’s regular commute is compensable. Also note that the time spent in attending a mandatory conference or meeting is compensable at the employee’s regular rate of pay.

• Travel Between Clients in a Single Workday

Once an employee reports to work, any work related travel occurring during the day is compensable.

Can Travel Pay Rates Be Lower than Regular Rate of Pay?

Yes, so long as all time is compensated at a rate equal to or higher than the minimum wage rate for California. Also, the employee must be informed of the lower rate in advance of the assigned travel. Be sure and check your location for its own minimum wage rate.

What About Overtime?

The employer must use a “weighted average” to obtain a regular rate of pay for overtime purposes. The California employer must pay 1-1/2 or 2 times the regular rate of pay for all time worked over 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. The regular rate is calculated as follows:

Regular Hours + Travel Hours in Workweek ——————————————————– Total Compensation for Workweek

Need more information? Want to check your calculations? Please contact us with questions at 650-265-0222 or [email protected] .

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• Employment Law: When California Employers Must Pay for Travel
• Leichter Law Firm

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Travel Time Pay Rules in California (2022):

Are you an hourly worker? Did you know that California law requires that hourly workers be paid for hours worked, which may include pay for travel? Pay for travel consists of time where an employee is not necessarily required to perform work but is still under an employer’s control. It is important to note that commuting to and from work is generally not time that an employer must compensate. Have you ever found yourself working off the clock? Contact your California employment lawyer for a confidential consultation.

For example, time spent as a passenger in a transportation-related entity is considered to be under the employer’s control if required by the employer.  Examples of such include, attending an event or meeting. On top of that, there are instances where travel-related cases such as waiting in traffic, purchasing a ticket, or getting on board, count as under the employer’s control.  However, there are cases where travel doesn’t count under the employer’s control.  These instances include; meals, relaxation breaks, and personal business.

In addition,  California law permits employers to pay different rates for travel time. Although the rate must not be less than minimum wage , it can be under what their normal pay rate is. It is important to note that, in order to qualify for a reduced travel time payment, the employer must have notified you of a different pay rate for travel time  before   you travel.

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In California, what rules apply when determining what constitutes hours worked?

California wage-and-hour law clearly states that any hour an employee spends performing work on behalf of the organization, or work that the organization knew or had reason to know was being performed by the employee, is considered hours worked and therefore deemed compensable time, regardless of where the work was performed (with some limitations).

The Labor Commissioner has adopted the federal regulations permitting the practice of computing working time by rounding to the nearest five minutes, or one-tenth or one-quarter of an hour. Such rounding is acceptable as long as it is applied both ways (for both employee and organization) so as not to result, over a period of time, in failure to compensate employees properly for all time they have actually worked.

Key considerations regarding compensable hours are outlined below.

Reporting-Time Pay

California Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) Orders require that employers pay nonexempt employees for certain unworked but regularly scheduled time, in addition to the hours the employee actually works. See, IWC Orders 1-16, Section 5. Such payments are known as reporting-time pay. The following are specific requirements for reporting-time pay:

Each workday an employee is required to report to work but is not put to work or is furnished with less than half of his or her usual or scheduled day’s work, the employee must be paid for half the usual or scheduled day’s work, but in no event for less than two hours or more than four hours, at the employee’s regular rate of pay.

If an employee is required to report to work a second time in any one workday and is furnished less than two hours of work on the second reporting, he or she must be paid for two hours at the employee’s regular rate of pay.

Exceptions to the requirement for reporting-time pay, found in IWC Orders 1-16, apply to the following situations:

When operations cannot begin or continue due to threats to employees or property, or when civil authorities recommend that work not begin or continue.

When public utilities fail to supply electricity, water or gas, or there is a failure in the public utilities or sewer system.

When the interruption of work is caused by an Act of God or other cause not within the employer’s control—for example, an earthquake.

The reporting-time pay provisions do not apply to employees on paid standby status or when an employee has a regularly scheduled shift of less than two hours, such as a relief cashier who works only during a one-hour period in the middle of the day.

Reporting-time pay for hours in excess of the actual hours worked is not counted as hours worked for purposes of determining overtime.

Call-back, On-call and Standby Time

An organization does not automatically have to pay a nonexempt employee for carrying a beeper, cell phone or other mobile device. Whether the on-call time is compensable will depend on the degree to which the employee is under the organization’s control. Factors to be considered include the degree of the restriction on the employee’s freedom, whether the employee is required to be on the organization’s property, and the impact the on-call policy has on the employee’s ability to perform personal business. On-call time may be paid at a different rate than the employee would receive for working.

Whether on-call or standby time off the work site is considered compensable must be determined by looking at the restrictions placed on the employee. A variety of factors are considered in determining whether the employer-imposed restrictions turn the on-call time into compensable hours worked. Some of the factors to consider include:

Whether a fixed time limit for response is unduly restrictive.

Whether the on-call employee can easily trade his or her on-call responsibilities with another employee.

To what extent the employee engages in personal activities during on-call periods.

During times when the employees are subject to the employer’s control, on-call or standby time at the work site is considered hours worked, and employees must be compensated for this time even if they do nothing.

Travel Time

Whether an employer needs to pay a nonexempt employee for travel time depends on many factors. Commuting—traveling from home to the usual work site—is not considered paid travel time. If the organization provides the employee with a company vehicle, the travel time to the employee’s usual work site is not paid time, even if the employee is performing small tasks such as refueling the vehicle. An employer does need to have an agreement with the employee regarding the use of the vehicle.

Most other travel time is considered work time, including travel to a different work site on a temporary basis or travel when an organization does not allow an employee to use his or her own transportation. In California, travel time is considered compensable work hours when the employer requires its employees to meet at a designated place, use the employer’s transportation to and from the work site, and prohibits employees from using their own transportation.

Generally, travel time longer than the employee’s normal commute to and from his or her regular work site is considered compensable. Employees who are required to report to a temporary work site or who experience a change in work site location must be compensated for any travel time in excess of the time normally required to report to their regular work site.

Time spent driving or as a passenger on an airplane, train, bus, taxi cab or car, or other mode of transportation in traveling to and from an out-of-town business-related trip and time spent waiting to purchase a ticket, check baggage or get on board is considered time spent under the employer’s control and therefore is compensable as hours worked.

Nonexempt employees may be paid for their travel time at a pay rate lower than the usual rate of pay. This rate may be as low as the minimum wage. The rate at which the travel must be paid depends upon the nature of the compensation agreement. If the employer has agreed to pay a fixed hourly rate of pay for any work performed, then travel time must be paid at that regular hourly rate or, if applicable, the required overtime rate. An employer may establish a separate rate of pay for travel before the work is performed for hourly employees, provided the rate does not fall below the statutory minimum wage.

De Minimis Time

The California Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that employers must pay workers for routine off-the-clock activities, such as setting the alarm and closing the store at the end of the day—even if the amount of time is minimal. Employers in California may no longer rely upon the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) de minimis rule which states that infrequent and insignificant periods of time beyond the scheduled working hours, which cannot as a practical matter be precisely recorded for payroll purposes, may be disregarded. 

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California travel pay: blended rate calculation example.

Updated: May 19, 2015

Calculating overtime in California: What to do with different pay rates

• The employee works 40 regular hours and is paid $25 per hour.
• She works Monday through Friday, eight hours per day.
• On Tuesday, the employee was required to drive six hours extra for a special assignment.
• She left at 5 a.m., worked from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with two paid 10-minute breaks, and drove three hours back – arriving at 8 p.m. Thus, 14 hours worked across all pay rates.
• The company has a policy in place that driving time is paid at $10 per hour.
• The employee's total non-overtime compensation is $1,060 (40 hours x $25 [$1,000] plus 6 hours x $10 [$60]).
• Thus, her regular rate for the calculation of overtime is $23.04 per hour ($1,060 ÷ 46 hours).
• The overtime premiums to be paid are $92.88 (4 hours x $23.04 x 50% [$46.08] plus 2 hrs x $23.04 x 100% [$46.08]). This is because double time is owed under California rules for all hours worked in excess of 12 hours in a workday.
• Total compensation for the week is $1,152.88 ($1,000 plus $60 plus $92.88).
• The regular work would be paid $1,000 (40 hours x $25) and the driving time would still be paid $60 (6 hours x $10).
• The overtime would be calculated as: (6 hours x $10 x 50% [$30]).
• The total pay would be $1,090 ($1,000 plus $60 plus $30).

2 thoughts on “California travel pay: Blended rate calculation example”

Such a hassle! And so much potential for innocent yet costly errors.

So if we have workers who meet at a designated location to travel to a work-site and then return to that designated location at the end of the day after the job is done, can we have a travel time rate for the return to the designated location? What if they are moving from work-site to work-site throughout the day? Can there be a travel-time rate for the movement between two work-sites in the middle of the day? (Landscaping business)

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California Travel Time Pay Rules

If you’re a California employee who travels for work, you may be wondering about the rules for travel time pay. Here’s what you need to know.

The California Labor Code states that employees who are required to travel for their job are entitled to pay for their travel time. This includes time spent traveling to and from work, as well as time spent on the job site.

In general, employees are entitled to their regular pay rate for travel time. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, employees who are required to travel during their normal work hours may be entitled to overtime pay for their travel time.

Additionally, employees may be required to travel a certain distance in order to be eligible for travel time pay. The California Labor Code specifies that employees are only entitled to pay for travel time that is “incidental to the work.” This means that employees who are required to travel for work are not entitled to pay for time spent traveling to and from their home and work.

If you have any questions about travel time pay, be sure to speak to an attorney or your local labor department.

• 1 Is travel time considered work time in California?
• 2 How is travel time paid in California?
• 3 Should you get paid for travel time?
• 4 Is travel time considered work time?
• 5 Do you have to pay drive time in California?
• 6 How far can my employer make me travel to work?
• 7 Does employer have to pay for travel time in California?

Is travel time considered work time in California?

In general, the answer to this question is yes. In California, travel time is generally considered to be work time, provided that the travel is job-related. 

There are a few exceptions to this rule, however. For example, if an employee is required to travel for personal reasons, that travel time is not considered to be work time. Additionally, if an employee is travelling for the purpose of entertaining clients or customers, that travel time is not considered to be work time. 

Generally speaking, however, travel time is considered to be work time in California. If you have any questions about this, or if you believe that your travel time is not being treated as work time, it is best to speak with an attorney.

How is travel time paid in California?

In California, employees are typically paid for their travel time according to the number of miles they have to travel from their home to their work. If an employee has to travel more than one hour one-way to work, they are typically paid at a rate of one and a half times their regular hourly wage. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.

For example, if an employee has to travel during their normal work hours to a different work location, they are typically not paid for their travel time. Additionally, employees who are required to travel for their job are not typically paid for their travel time, even if it is more than one hour one-way.

There are a few exceptions to this rule as well. For example, if an employee is required to travel for their job and they are not able to do their job from home, they are typically paid for their travel time. Additionally, employees who are required to travel for their job and are not able to work while they are travelling are typically paid for their travel time.

Should you get paid for travel time?

There is no definitive answer as to whether or not you should get paid for travel time. Some people believe that you should be compensated for the time it takes you to get from one place to another, while others argue that this is simply part of the job. Ultimately, it is up to your employer to decide whether or not to pay you for travel time.

There are a few factors to consider when deciding whether or not to get paid for travel time. First, you need to consider how long it takes you to get from one place to another. If it takes you longer than usual to travel to your destination, you may be able to argue that you should be compensated for this time. Additionally, you should consider the cost of travel. If you are required to use your own vehicle to travel to work, you may be able to argue that you should be reimbursed for your expenses.

Ultimately, it is up to your employer to decide whether or not to pay you for travel time. If you feel like you are not being compensated fairly for your travel time, you may want to speak with your boss or human resources department. By understanding your employer’s policy on travel time, you can ensure that you are being compensated fairly for the time you spend getting to and from work.

Is travel time considered work time?

The question of whether or not travel time is considered work time is a complicated one. The answer depends on a variety of factors, including the type of travel, the reason for the travel, and the employer’s policies.

Generally speaking, travel for work-related reasons is considered work time. This includes travel to and from a work site, as well as travel for business purposes. However, there are some exceptions. For example, if an employee is traveling for personal reasons and the employer does not require them to report for work, then the travel is not considered work time.

Additionally, employers may have their own policies on whether or not travel time is considered work time. So it is important to check with your employer to find out their specific guidelines.

Overall, travel time is generally considered work time unless the employee is traveling for personal reasons and the employer does not require them to report for work. It is important to check with your employer to find out their specific policies on this matter.

Do you have to pay drive time in California?

In California, as in most states, you are required to pay for all the time you spend driving your car, whether you are driving for work, for pleasure, or to get from one place to another. The only exception is when you are driving in a carpool with at least one other person, in which case you can split the cost of driving time with your passengers.

There are a few ways to calculate how much you owe for drive time. The most common way is to use the IRS’s mileage rate, which is currently 54 cents per mile. You can also use the actual cost of driving your car, including gas, oil, repairs, and depreciation. Whichever way you calculate it, you will need to keep track of your driving expenses and include them on your tax return.

If you are self-employed, you can also deduct your driving expenses as a business expense. This can be a great way to reduce your taxable income and save money on your taxes.

While driving can be a necessary part of life, it’s important to remember to keep track of your expenses and to file your taxes correctly. Thanks for reading!

How far can my employer make me travel to work?

Can my employer make me travel to work?

Your employer can make you travel to work, but there are some restrictions. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employees must be paid for their travel time if it is considered work. Generally, employees must be paid for all travel time, including time spent traveling from home to their first work-related destination and back home again at the end of the workday. However, there are a few exceptions.

If an employee’s workday begins at one work site and ends at another work site, the employer does not have to pay for the time the employee spends commuting between the two sites. This exception applies only if the employee’s job duties require her to be at each work site during the workday.

If an employee is required to travel to a work-related destination, but is not required to be at that destination during the workday, the employer does not have to pay for the time the employee spends traveling. For example, if an employee is required to attend a meeting in another city, but the meeting is not during the employee’s normal work hours, the employer does not have to pay for the travel time.

If an employer requires an employee to travel for work, but the employee is not required to work during the entire trip, the employer must pay for the time the employee is working. For example, if an employee is required to travel to a work-related destination, but only works for a few hours while she is there, the employer must pay for the hours the employee worked.

The FLSA does not restrict the distance an employee can be required to travel to work. However, there may be state or local laws that limit the distance an employee can be required to travel. Employees should check with their state or local labor department to find out if there are any restrictions.

Does employer have to pay for travel time in California?

In California, employers are not required to pay for travel time. However, there may be some instances where employers are required to pay for travel time. For instance, if an employee is required to travel for work, the employer may be required to pay for the travel time. Additionally, if an employee is required to travel to a remote work location, the employer may be required to pay for the travel time.

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What We Know About the Global Microsoft Outage

Airlines to banks to retailers were affected in many countries. Businesses are struggling to recover.

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By Eshe Nelson and Danielle Kaye

Eshe Nelson reported from London and Danielle Kaye from New York.

Across the world, critical businesses and services including airlines, hospitals, train networks and TV stations, were disrupted on Friday by a global tech outage affecting Microsoft users.

In many countries, flights were grounded, workers could not get access to their systems and, in some cases, customers could not make card payments in stores. While some of the problems were resolved within hours, many businesses, websites and airlines continued to struggle to recover.

What happened?

A series of outages rippled across the globe as information displays, login systems and broadcasting networks went dark.

The problem affecting the majority of services was caused by a flawed update by CrowdStrike , an American cybersecurity firm, whose systems are intended to protect users from hackers. Microsoft said on Friday that it was aware of an issue affecting machines running “CrowdStrike Falcon.”

But Microsoft had also said there was an earlier outage affecting U.S. users of Azure, its cloud service system. Some users may have been affected by both. Even as CrowdStrike sent out a fix, some systems were still affected by midday in the United States as businesses needed to make manual updates to their systems to resolve the issue.

George Kurtz, the president and chief executive of CrowdStrike, said on Friday morning that it could take some time for some systems to recover.

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What was affected?

It is more apt to ask what was not affected. Everything from airlines to banks to health care systems in many countries was hit.

In Australia, passengers were stuck in long lines at Sydney airport as information screens went blank, and programming was disrupted at the national broadcaster. Airports in Britain, Germany and Taiwan had long delays at check-ins and flights were delayed or canceled. At an airport in South Korea, handwritten boarding passes were being slowly handed out.

How the airline cancellations rippled around the world (and across time zones)

Share of canceled flights at 25 airports on Friday

50% of flights

Ai r po r t

Bengalu r u K empeg o wda

Dhaka Shahjalal

Minneapolis-Saint P aul

Stuttga r t

Melbou r ne

Be r lin B r anden b urg

London City

Amsterdam Schiphol

Chicago O'Hare

Raleigh−Durham

B r adl e y

Cha r lotte

Reagan National

Philadelphia

1:20 a.m. ET

Flights continued to be disrupted at some U.S. airports into the morning because of the cascading effect of flight delays and cancellations. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that ground stops and delays would be “intermittent” at some airports as airlines grapple with residual technology issues.

The outage affected emergency 911 lines in multiple states, the U.S. Emergency Alert System said on social media — but most if not all of the emergency system problems appeared to be resolving themselves by midmorning.

A few hospitals in Germany said they would cancel elective procedures; and in Britain, some doctors in the National Health Service were unable to gain access to systems. Kaiser Permanente, a medical system that provides care to 12.6 million members in the United States, said all of its hospitals’ systems were affected, and it activated backup systems to keep caring for patients.

At some banks, including JPMorgan Chase, there were delays in processing trades because bankers could not log into their work systems. TD Bank, the 10th largest in the United States, said customers complained that they could not access their online accounts.

But the problems were not uniform. London’s Heathrow Airport said that its flights were still operating. The London Stock Exchange said that it could not publish news updates but the exchange, where trades take place, was working as normal. The auction system at the Norwegian central bank was briefly interrupted, but other major central banks, the European Central Bank and Bank of England, said there was no effect on their systems.

In some cases, issues were resolved relatively quickly. In Ukraine, Sense Bank and the mobile operator Vodafone reported brief problems with their services. At Dubai International Airport, two airlines switched to alternative systems, allowing operations to resume.

Major grocery chains in the United States appeared largely unaffected, with most stores operating as usual. But the world’s biggest logistics companies, including United Parcel Service and FedEx, did report disruptions, causing delivery delays in some regions. A spokesman for UPS said the company’s computer systems in the United States and Europe were affected.

Who’s to blame?

Mr. Kurtz said CrowdStrike took responsibility for the software bug, sent in a system update, that caused the outage. He said in a post on X that Mac and Linux users were not affected.

The incident was not a cyberattack, Mr. Kurtz said, adding that customers remain “fully protected.” But Mr. Kurtz warned on NBC’s “Today” show that the fix could take some time to put in place.

“We understand the gravity of the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption,” Mr. Kurtz said. Microsoft offered suggestions to users to help resolve the issue, including restoring backup systems.

While CrowdStrike is at fault for the software bug, J.J. Guy, chief executive of cybersecurity company Sevco, said poor resiliency of Microsoft’s operating system is to blame for extent of the damage.

“Bugs happen all the time and are unavoidable, the result of business complexity and technology,” Mr. Guy said. “But this became a catastrophic incident because of the remediation procedures. The resiliency of the operating system was not sufficient to mitigate the risk of that.”

Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment on its operating system. The company’s chief executive, Satya Nadella, said in a post on X that Microsoft is working with CrowdStrike to offer customers technical guidance and bring systems back online.

Eshe Nelson is a reporter based in London, covering economics and business news for The New York Times. More about Eshe Nelson

Danielle Kaye is a business reporter and a 2024 David Carr Fellow, a program for journalists early in their careers. More about Danielle Kaye

What's financial toll for Team USA Olympians? We asked athletes how they make ends meet.

Between babysitting, working as a caregiver for adults with dementia and Alzheimer’s and bussing tables at an Iowa City restaurant,  Olympian Brittany Brown still found time for her main job: elite track runner. She just wasn’t getting paid for it − yet.

After graduating from Iowa in 2018, Brown wasn’t ready to hang up her spikes. But as an unsponsored athlete for about a year, she had to cover the cost of living and fund her training. 

"I understand what it’s like to be really hustling," Brown said, and that’s the reality for many other Olympians, too.

It wasn’t until she won a 2019 world championship silver medal that Adidas came calling with sponsorship. 

"It was definitely a sigh of relief to have that and to be recognized," said the 29-year-old Brown, who will compete in the 200-meter race at the  2024 Paris Olympics . "Money is respect, and it was nice to be respected in that way and to be like, ‘OK, cool. She did this cool thing, and she did it unsigned.’"

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Brown’s story as a previously unsponsored athlete is far from unique. For many elite athletes, the financial burden of training can be ever present. The Olympians seen in ads for Nike, Gatorade, Visa and Reese’s, among other big-name brands, don’t represent the majority, athletes told USA TODAY Sports.

"The reality is that's only the top 5%; the rest of us are living paycheck by paycheck," said water polo player Kaleigh Gilchrist, who’s playing for a third straight Olympic gold medal . 

It’s why Maggie Steffens, Team USA ’s water polo captain, took to Instagram in May to crowdsource funding, noting that “most Olympians need a 2nd (or 3rd) job to support chasing the dream (myself included!)”. What she didn’t expect was  rapper Flavor Flav sponsoring the whole team , inking a five-year sponsorship deal as the official hype man for Team USA women’s and men’s water polo.

Team and individual sponsors help pay for training and competition travel, stateside and abroad, along with fundraisers. National governing bodies − such as USA Track and Field − and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee also can provide stipends to athletes to help offset costs. 

"A lot of Olympians are bootstrapping for support," said Steffens, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and now-four-time Olympian. "USA Water Polo and USOPC have supported us a ton, but it's OK to be grateful for that and say there can be better, there can be more."

A  2020 survey of nearly 500 elite athletes  across 48 countries by advocacy group Global Athlete found 58% of respondents didn’t consider themselves financially stable. The majority also said they did not receive “the appropriate amount of financial compensation” from the International Olympic Committee or their respective national federations.

Stipends are often not enough to mitigate the cost of living, especially when, depending on the sport, some of the top places to train are expensive to live in, like water polo in southern California.

"(Stipends are) where our financial support comes from now, I will say that that's less than minimum wage for the hours and the work that we have," Steffens said.

"When you're training for the Olympics, that's your mission. You don't want to have to worry about: How am I going to pay for rent? How do I afford my groceries this month? How do I pay for my car? How do I pay for my phone? You want to just focus on your mission."

In addition to the cost of living, training and competition travel, expenses for elite athletes can include physical and massage therapy, nutritional support or extra equipment. 

Steffens speculated it costs about $3,300 a month to train in Long Beach for the Olympics as a full-time job, and that’s only if training itself is paid for. If it’s not, athletes have to pay for coaches, trainers and gym memberships or find those who will do it pro bono. 

Training at the University of Arkansas, Brown pays her coach, along with a nutritionist and a mental performance coach. The annual cost of training resources, she estimated, is between $20,000 and $30,000 — without factoring in living expenses.

"Track has come a long way," Brown said. "It still (has) a long way to go when it comes to finances and money in the sport for sponsored and unsponsored (athletes)."

To make ends meet, athletes in the US and around the globe  work as attorneys, as nurses , at the Walmart deli counter,  as doctors or as mail carriers . When Gilchrist isn’t playing water polo, she surfs professionally and has a t-shirt company. Steffens is the co-founder of 6-8 Sports, a data and analytics app for athletes.

Some athletes also teach camps, clinics and lessons to bring in some extra cash − and to aid the next generation of athletes − while others look to GoFundMe or Cameo to help pay for training. Olympic hopefuls raised more than $1 million this year on GoFundMe, according to the company.

Sunny Choi, who will make her Olympic debut along with her sport, breaking, worked as the director of global creative operations for Estée Lauder before quitting in January 2023 to focus entirely on training. She said she was “really scared” to quit because she saved enough money to get her to the end of that year, but that was it. She banked on potential partnerships materializing. 

"I've actually been really fortunate to have a lot of opportunities," Choi said. "To be honest, I've actually turned down quite a lot and obviously try to pass them on to other people that I know."

Brown often receives DMs from athletes who are unsponsored but inspired by her story, asking how she did it. 

"I would say become your biggest fan and become your biggest advocate," Brown said. "I made deliberate, intentional choices. … 

"When you feel like you're not getting recognized with monetary support, it can feel very defeating. But I also felt like that (unsponsored) year, I became my biggest fan, and I became my biggest cheerleader."