Paid for drive time?

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Dennis Alwon said:
I believe a lunch break would qualify as the only necessary break in an 8 hour day.
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Dennis, again California as example, (don’t know about North Carolina) If you work at least 3.5 hours in a day, you are entitled to a 10 minute rest break or every 4 hours worked, check this site out it’s a simple read: Calif Labor and Employment Law. Acording to this site 30 minute lunch if work 5 hrs but this can be negotiated.
 
New Jersey like many other states


The mandatory break law only applies to minors under the age of 18 and they must be given a thirty (30) minute meal period after five (5) consecutive hours of work. Company policy dictates break and lunch periods for anyone over the age of 18.

Morning and afternoon breaker are in many cases agreed to under some contracts not state laws
 
readydave8 said:
..........One particular job that took me 1 3/4 hour to drive to took the crew 2 1/4 hour............
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Perhaps this is due to you driving your spiffy new empty Avalanche with it's asphalt-rippin' 5.3l V8 yanking you down the road with 320 ponies, whilst 'the crew' is plodding along with a fully-loaded Astro with 189,000 miles on it's inline 4 with 12-year old spark plugs.
 
480sparky said:
Perhaps this is due to you driving your spiffy new empty Avalanche with it's asphalt-rippin' 5.3l V8 yanking you down the road with 320 ponies, whilst 'the crew' is plodding along with a fully-loaded Astro with 189,000 miles on it's inline 4 with 12-year old spark plugs.
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You forgot the bald tires, blown shocks, whistling ladder rack and broken radio.:grin::grin::grin: Sure made me appreciate the "new" van they bought with A/C when they gave it to me.

Upon checking MA's laws it appears that the 15 minute breaker is a gift in my state.(guess I was wrong)
But getting back on topic, travel time was also defined. Travel to your place of employment is on your time, after that its on the company dime. So if its directly to the shop or job site you own it after that they own it. Of course this is in MA.
 
I thought that you were req. to give a break every 4 hours. So if you work 4 hours then lunch is your break. 4 more hours and you go home-- at least that was my understanding.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I thought that you were req. to give a break every 4 hours. So if you work 4 hours then lunch is your break. 4 more hours and you go home-- at least that was my understanding.
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Legalistically it looks like 10 minute breaks are required if work 3 ? hours or more and every 4 hours with the 10 minute break near as possible in the middle of the 4 hour period (or simply every 2 hours). So it doesn't look like the 30 minute lunch can replace the 10 minute breaks (again this not in all states).

In one of our earlier posts I notice you worked most of your career without breaks, my journeys similar in that I worked all day and never even gave thought to “10 minute breaks”, this sometimes caused grief with coworkers that compared but it’s my story and I’m sticking to it – I have no regrets by my choice with this it contributed to my success. I also never made a big deal about travel, it takes a reasonable amount of time and I simply used this time span till the job was done and the guy’s that were required to travel respected this as well.

I think it’s only a big deal if it “really is a big deal”; I personally rather work with others who keep this simple and aren’t hung up on the legalistic if someone stops for a snack, smoke, or leak, cool no big deal but those who don’t cool no big deal.
 
This is all I have to say concerning how people run their businesses. Do it how you want,but remember that there are laws governing breaks and lunch, etc. in every state, and violating them can prove very costly. I know of one contractor who allowed his crews to work as long as they wanted, but he did not pay overtime scale. He ended up getting in trouble with the IRS, and lost his business, plus he had to pay alot of overtime money. My opinion is it is best to follow the law as much as practical, and that employees should do their best to make money for their employer, put in the effort to help the company turn a profit, and you might have a job for years. I know what many employers are saying about being used by their employees, but I have also experienced employer abuse, so I can see both sides. So, I think it is best to iron out details of work before hiring.
 
If you drive shop to shop in a company truck, you are on company time. I believe that if you drive shop to home you only have to pay till the end of the day at the job. I also believe that as long as he is driving your truck, then he is under your employee and you are libal for any accidents or other mishaps.

Here if I do an after hours inspection, I am required to come into the office and pick up my city truck.
 
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