Business trips that fall on non working days - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Flabbibulin · 08-19-2013, 09:55 AM

Tried to do a google search to see if this is covered by Alberta labor regulations, but couldn't find anything.

I have been on a few trips for work before, but they have always fallen on normal working days. I have an upcoming business trip that will be 2 weeks in length and wondering if I am entitled compensation vacation or flex days for the weekend days I am gone (will be 4 of them). Saturday and Sunday are not normal work days for me. Monday-Friday regular hours. Probably not relevant, but I will not be working on the weekend days of the trip either.

I am aware that people get extra vacation days as compensation for business travel, but wasn't sure if this was an individual company policy, or a labor code thing. I think I even have heard of people getting a full vacation day for every day they are gone, normal working day or not?

Thanks

burn_this_city · 08-19-2013, 10:04 AM

I can't imagine you're entitled to anything.

DoubleK · 08-19-2013, 10:12 AM

If they are paying meals and food, I'd take the time to explore the city/area on the company's dime.

jammies · 08-19-2013, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoubleK

If they are paying meals and food, I'd take the time to explore the city/area on the company's dime.

"I never knew Fort McMurray was such a cultural hotbed! Thanks, boss - you don't get hookers like this back home!"

bubbsy · 08-19-2013, 10:17 AM

per diem should cover such non-working days, and even perhaps have a higher rate (ie. a higher per diem for weekend/holiday days).

I hate going on work related travel where you have to be there for meetings on mon/fri as that means you are stuck travelling on your weekend days, and tend to schedule things around this.

Tron_fdc · 08-19-2013, 10:20 AM

From a managers perspective I HATE when guys ask for this. They travel over a weekend, then take days off in lieu.

I have no idea if it's legislated, but I get pretty annoyed when people do it. I try to compromise with time off here and there, but when someone travels a few Sundays then takes 4 days off and tacks it on to their holidays I start to question how much they enjoy working for me.

Igster · 08-19-2013, 10:32 AM

Well Tron, it is their time that they are using to travel for your company. Why shouldn't they either get paid for it or get time off for it?

Flabbibulin · 08-19-2013, 10:32 AM

Ya, I'm not really going to get in a fuss about it one way or another- just want to know what the standard practice is and certainly if there are any regulations regarding it. Doesn't sound like the latter is the case.

My new position this year involves a lot more travel, but this hasn't been brought up.

The typical trips are to fairly interesting spots in the US, so certainly no big deal there.

Our per diem rates are fairly standard, with the hotel rates dependent on average rates for the destination.

CrazyCaper · 08-19-2013, 10:36 AM

I travel quite a bit for work and alot of my flights leave on Sunday afternoon or evening depending on meeting start times on the Monday. I'm not compensated for my travel time but I am given meal allowances for the day. It all usually works itself out in the end anyway

You Need a Thneed · 08-19-2013, 10:40 AM

When we have a project that requires travel, we usually pay them for one way of the travel.

We've done that several ways, when the project is 1 to 1.5 hours out of town, they might drive every day, and get paid from the time they leave the city to the time they are ready to leave the site.

When the travel time becomes more than that, it usually becomes a once a week travel, where they get paid for travelling out, but not for coming back. They would then get a per diem for the days they are away.

kermitology · 08-19-2013, 10:44 AM

I've done a lot of long haul work overseas and we always completed timesheets for the duration. Mostly we got paid for the days worked rather than time in lieu unless you were on a field rotation where we got 1.25 days per day. And no, per diem is not going to cover your salary given it's about $50/day in a place like the US.

Red Potato Standing By · 08-19-2013, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

From a managers perspective I HATE when guys ask for this. They travel over a weekend, then take days off in lieu.

I have no idea if it's legislated, but I get pretty annoyed when people do it. I try to compromise with time off here and there, but when someone travels a few Sundays then takes 4 days off and tacks it on to their holidays I start to question how much they enjoy working for me.

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, but it sounds like unless they give some free hours it means they don't enjoy working for you. Never understood why people get upset when people want to get paid for there time.

Red Potato Standing By · 08-19-2013, 10:53 AM

As for where I work the hours for traveling on your day off gets either banked or you can choose to get an extra days pay (they have set amounts depending on how many extra hours you put in)

Tron_fdc · 08-19-2013, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Igster

Well Tron, it is their time that they are using to travel for your company. Why shouldn't they either get paid for it or get time off for it?

Because salaried sales employees should understand that weekend travel is part of the job.

If I was a waged employee that had to build widgets I was going to sell then fair enough. That's called overtime, and you punch a card that shows it. But because you are salary and work in sales, there are a number of perks that are enjoyed during working hours that I allow. I don't stand over my employees checking productivity sheets all day, asking what they are doing every minute of the day. The tradeoff for that is when I need something done outside normal working hours it doesn't turn into extra holiday time.

I don't like people working for me that don't see the difference.

valo403 · 08-19-2013, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

Because salaried sales employees should understand that weekend travel is part of the job.

If I was a waged employee that had to build widgets I was going to sell then fair enough. That's called overtime, and you punch a card that shows it. But because you are salary and work in sales, there are a number of perks that are enjoyed during working hours that I allow. I don't stand over my employees checking productivity sheets all day, asking what they are doing every minute of the day. The tradeoff for that is when I need something done outside normal working hours it doesn't turn into extra holiday time.

I don't like people working for me that don't see the difference.

Is working weekends customary for your industry or something that was clearly understood when you hired these people? If so then I'm fully with you, it's the same way for me, if work needs to be done the day of the week doesn't matter. However, if that's not something people sign up knowing I could see why they'd expect to be compensated.

NuclearPizzaMan · 08-19-2013, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

Because salaried sales employees should understand that weekend travel is part of the job.

Haha like hell.

I get time off in lieu and time and a half pay for weekends spent outside the city on behalf of work, and I wouldn't accept anything less.

Oh, wait. you said sales people. I agree that they should suffer. Carry on.

Cowboy89 · 08-19-2013, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zethrynn

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, but it sounds like unless they give some free hours it means they don't enjoy working for you. Never understood why people get upset when people want to get paid for there time.

A punchclock attitude towards white collar work annoys me.

I agree with the poster and my take on this is that salaried work isn't an hour for hour scorekeeping excercise (And I question how dedicated one is to their job or profession if they make it out to be such). The rewards and productivity of said labour are measured over longer periods of time and cannot be summed in simple units of time. Typically this kind of employment enjoys many benefits that hourly work does not have such as higher pay and less demanding physical work conditions.

Tron_fdc · 08-19-2013, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valo403

Is working weekends customary for your industry or something that was clearly understood when you hired these people? If so then I'm fully with you, it's the same way for me, if work needs to be done the day of the week doesn't matter. However, if that's not something people sign up knowing I could see why they'd expect to be compensated.

Absolutely. We're highly seasonal, and follow construction trends (which are weather related). Construction projects run 24/7 through the summer, and we get all kinds of calls at all kinds of weird hours (we cover the US as well) from guys that need things. If I don't supply it someone else will. All my employees know this well in advance of getting hired/promoted.

Winter is a different story, when workload is cut in half.

So yeah, when a sales guy (or any of our office staff for that matter) does something on a Saturday then books off a Friday before a long weekend in the middle of summer I get annoyed. If you want to do something "by the book" or demand time in lieu of work "on my personal time" then be prepared for me to demand the same when I see you surfing the internet at 2 PM on a Wednesday in the middle of winter, and are getting paid to do it.

Tron_fdc · 08-19-2013, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

A punchclock attitude towards white collar work

That in a nutshell is the best way someone can ever describe what I'm trying to get across.

DFO · 08-19-2013, 11:38 AM

Seems like the distinction of doing some work on the weekend (at home or office) and being gone for the weekend is being lost. I have no problem putting time in on evenings or the weekend if I'm up against a deadline or something. The thing is that you're still at home. On the other hand I'm not putting up with losing a weekend for out of town company business without some sort of compensation - either time in lieu or money. That's BS.